Pinto Means Painted in Spanish
A pinto is a horse with large patches of white. The name and the pinto bean both come from a Spanish word for painted.
A pinto is a horse marked with large irregular patches of white and another colour. Spanish *pinto* means painted, from Latin *pingere*, the same verb behind *paint* and *picture* — the horse looks as though colour was spilled across it. The mottled *pinto bean* gets its name the same way. Pinto describes a colour pattern, not a breed; a Paint horse is a specific breed registry that requires particular bloodlines as well as the markings.
- A patched horse. *A pinto pony.*
- Pinto bean — a mottled bean. *Pinto beans.*
- Piebald — black and white patches. *Piebald.*
- Skewbald — white with any other colour. *Skewbald.*
- Spanish — *pinto*, painted. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pinto | A pinto. |
| Plural | pintos | Two pintos. |
| Adjective | pinto | Pinto markings. |
| Compound | pinto bean | Pinto beans. |
| Latin | pingere | To paint. |
- She rode a black and white pinto.Horse.
- Pinto beans are speckled before cooking.Food.
- Pinto simply means painted.Etymology.
Words for patched horses
- Pinto — the general American term for white patches
- Piebald — white and black, from *pie*, the magpie
- Skewbald — white with brown or any colour but black
- Paint — an American breed registry, not just a pattern
- Appaloosa — spotted rather than patched, a different pattern
Spanish *pinto*, painted or spotted, from Latin *pinctus*, a form of *pingere*, to paint.
Is pinto a breed?
No, it describes a coat pattern. The American Paint Horse is a breed that requires both the pattern and particular bloodlines.
Why are pinto beans called that?
Because they are mottled, and Spanish pinto means painted.