pico
nounCEFR B2
What does “pico” mean in English?
peak — the pointed top of a mountain; the highest point of a quantity or activity
peak — the pointed top of a mountain; the highest point of a quantity or activity (alcanzar su pico; pico de demanda)
Example sentences
Las emisiones de CO₂ alcanzaron su pico histórico en 2023 según los datos del informe climático anual.
CO₂ emissions reached their historic peak in 2023 according to the annual climate report.
Los Picos de Europa son una de las cadenas montañosas más visitadas del norte de España.
The Picos de Europa are one of the most visited mountain ranges in northern Spain.
Para evitar el tráfico, muchos trabajadores salen de casa antes de las horas pico.
To avoid traffic, many workers leave home before peak hours.
How to use it
El pico (noun, masculine) is polysemous at B2: (1) a peak or summit — the highest point (alcanzar su pico; pico de demanda/emisiones), (2) a mountain summit or peak (pico nevado; los Picos de Europa), (3) a bird's beak (el pico del pájaro), and (4) a pickaxe or mattock (trabajar con el pico). In data/science contexts, sense 1 dominates. Key collocations: pico máximo; alcanzar un pico; hora pico (peak hour); fuera de horas pico.
Common mistake
Pico (peak/maximum) is context-dependent — science vs. geography vs. animals vs. tools. Hora pico = peak hour (also hora punta in Peninsular Spanish). Alcanzar un pico (to reach a peak) — not *llegar a un pico. In data visualisations, pico and máximo are interchangeable. 'Mountain peak' = pico or cima or cumbre.