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Glite Dictionary
🧱 A base or plinth 🏛️ A public square 🇲🇽 Main city square
zócalo

zócalo

9.5
The main public square in the center of Mexico City
  • proper noun
  • /ˈzoʊkəloʊ/
translation icon : Zócalo
  • As an anti-Ruiz march was breaking up in late November, the federal police and their paramilitary associates swept through the streets surrounding Oaxaca's Zócalo.

Examples

  • They occupied two spacious plazas, the Zócalo and the Alameda, and spilled into nearly 50 surrounding city blocks.

    Academic text (2008)

  • The Zócalo is the heart of Mexico City, where locals gather for festivals and events.

  • Every Sunday, the Zócalo comes alive with music and dance performances from various artists.

  • Visitors to Mexico City often enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of the Zócalo, especially during public celebrations.

Surface Forms

zócalo main

Etymology

Zócalo is the name of Mexico City's main square, officially Plaza de la Constitución. The name came from the same idea: a big empty base or zócalo left in the plaza made people call that central place the zócalo, and the name stayed.