maguey

maguey — noun

1. a large, fleshy-leaved agave plant that grows naturally in Mexico and Central Am

1.nounB2
Definition

a large, fleshy-leaved agave plant that grows naturally in Mexico and Central America. Its sap is used to make traditional alcoholic drinks such as pulque and mescal, and its fibres are used to make rope, twine, and fabric.

Example

In the highlands of Oaxaca, farmers grow maguey on small family plots for making mescal.

The maguey plant can live for ten to fifteen years before sending up a single tall flower stalk.

contrast between life span and final flowering event

Common collocations
  • grow maguey
  • maguey plant
  • maguey leaf
  • maguey sap
  • maguey fibre
  • maguey field
Synonyms
  • agave

    broader genus name; all magueys are agaves, but not all agaves are magueys

  • century plant

    common name for some agave species, especially Agave americana; less precise than 'maguey'

Grammar Patterns

maguey (as a plant) is countable; maguey (as material) is uncountable

Usage Note

As a countable noun, 'maguey' refers to the living plant (e.g., 'two magueys'); as an uncountable noun, it refers to the plant as a material or product source.

Common Mistakes

I drank maguey last night.
I drank pulque last night.
'maguey' is the plant, not the drink made from it.

2. a strong, rough fibre obtained from the leaves of the maguey plant, used for mak

2.nounC1
Definition

a strong, rough fibre obtained from the leaves of the maguey plant, used for making rope, twine, nets, brushes, and coarse fabrics.

Example

On the Yucatán coast, fisherman Mateo prefers maguey rope for his crab traps because it stays strong even after months in salt water.

The workshop buys raw maguey from cooperatives in Puebla and spins it into high-quality rope.

passive: maguey is bought + processed into [product]

Common collocations
  • maguey fibre
  • maguey rope
  • maguey twine
  • maguey net
  • raw maguey
  • woven maguey
Synonyms
  • henequen

    a similar fibre from a different agave species; often used interchangeably in trade contexts

  • sisal

    the most common agave fibre worldwide; lighter in colour than maguey fibre

  • ixtle

    a finer agave fibre from Mexico; less coarse than maguey

Grammar Patterns

maguey (fiber) is uncountable

Usage Note

This sense is uncountable — you cannot say 'a maguey' to mean a single fibre. Use 'a piece of maguey fibre' or 'maguey fibre' as a material name.

Common Mistakes

She pulled a maguey from the brush.
She pulled a strand of maguey fibre from the brush.
when referring to a single strand, you need a unit word.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Agave' is the scientific genus name for a large group of succulents native to the Americas; it is the broadest and most formal term. 'Maguey' is the common Spanish-derived name used for agave species in Mexico and Central America that are cultivated for pulque, mescal, or fibre — it carries regional and cultural specificity that 'agave' lacks. 'Century plant' is a popular English name for certain agave species (especially Agave americana), but it can be misleading because these plants typically live 10–30 years, not 100. 'Sisal' refers specifically to Agave sisalana, a species grown worldwide for its fibre; unlike maguey, sisal is not used to make traditional Mexican alcoholic drinks. In everyday Mexican context, 'maguey' is the precise word; in botanical or international contexts, 'agave' is more appropriate.

agave ↗century plantsisal

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • made from maguey

Etymology

TaínoSpanishEnglish

The word 'maguey' was borrowed into English from Spanish, which took it from Taíno, the language of the Indigenous people of the Caribbean islands. The Taíno word 'magüey' originally referred to a type of agave plant. Early Spanish explorers brought the word back to Europe, and it entered English in the 16th century alongside the plant's introduction to European gardens.