n. pl. des·per·a·does or des·per·a·dos A bold or desperate outlaw, especially of the American frontier. [Probably from Spanish desperado, desesperado, desperate person, from past participle of desesperar, to despair, from Latin dēspērāre; see DESPAIR.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.