ˈspænɪʃ adj. & n. --adj. of or relating to Spain or
its people or
language. --n. 1
the language of Spain
and Spanish America. 2 (prec. by the; treated as pl.) the people of Spain. øSpanish America
those parts of America orig. settled by Spaniards, including
Central and
South America and
part of the
West Indies. Spanish
Armada hist. the Spanish
war fleet
sent against England in 1588. Spanish
bayonet a
yucca, Yucca aloifolia,
with stiff sharp-pointed
leaves. Spanish
chestnut = CHESTNUT n. 1b. Spanish fly a
bright green beetle, Lytta vesicatoria,
formerly dried and used
for raising blisters, as a supposed
aphrodisiac, etc. Spanish
goat a goat, Capra pyrenaica, inhabiting the Pyrenees. Spanish
guitar the
standard six-stringed
acoustic guitar, used
esp. for
classical and
folk music. Spanish
mackerel any of
various large mackerels, esp.
Scomber colias or S. maculatus. Spanish Main hist. the NE
coast of South America
between the Orinoco
river and
Panama, and adjoining parts of the
Caribbean Sea. Spanish
omelette an omelette containing chopped vegetables and
often not folded. Spanish
onion a large mild-flavoured onion. Spanish
windlass the
use of a stick as a
lever for tightening ropes etc. [ME f. Spain, with
shortening of the
first element]
