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spanish

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Spanish¹

  • /ˈspænɪʃ/ US, UK

Rhymes with -ænɪʃ

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English Spanisch, either an alteration of Spaynisch after foreign words for "Spain" or "Spanish" such as Old Spanish Espanna, Old Spanish espannol or a partial calque of them; equivalent to Spain + -ish.

Sense of "licorice" derives from a local legend in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, where twigs that washed up onto the beaches from the wreckage of a galleon from the Spanish armada were found to be licorice roots.

adjective

  1. not comparable Of or pertaining to Spain. Spanish borders
  2. not comparable Of or pertaining to the people or culture of Spain. Spanish cuisines
  3. not comparable Of or pertaining to the Spanish language. Spanish verbs
  4. Canada, US, informal, nonstandard, not comparable Of or pertaining to Hispanic people or their culture.

proper noun Spanishes

  1. uncountable A Romance language primarily spoken in Spain and in the Americas. "If he speaks Spanish, my daughter can converse with him ; she has but shortly arrived from Spain."

    Similar: Castilian

  2. countable, uncountable A town in Ontario, Canada.

noun Spanish · Spanishes

  1. collective, countable, in plural, uncountable The people of Spain, collectively; Spaniards. The Spanish are not the only ones selling their goods along the wharves and the inner streets.

    Similar: Spaniard

  2. uncountable Spanish cuisine; traditional Spanish food.
  3. US, collective, countable, in plural, informal, nonstandard People of Hispanic origin; one whose first language is Spanish. Sixty-four percent more Spanish are functionally illiterate compared to Anglos in Lubbock (only 15 percent more of nonwhites than Anglos).

    Similar: Hispanic

  4. UK, obsolete, slang, uncountable Money. Jack Ar. […] I must come back to father — and what then? — he won't give me the Spanish. Project. The Spanish! — now what the devil's that? Jack Ar. Why, ready money, not credit or paper.
  5. Northern England, colloquial, uncountable Licorice.
  6. historical, uncountable A mixture of ash and cinders added to bricks before firing them, to cause ignition and reduce fuel usage.

spanish²

  • /ˈspæn.ɪʃ/

Rhymes with -ænɪʃ

verb spanishes · spanishing · spanished

  1. To subject to spanishing, a printing process in which an ink is deposited on the bottoms and sides of depressions formed in a plastic material Such papers have been print-embossed or spanished to obtain special effects.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: spanish people, spaniard, castilian, espanola, hispanic, french, dutch, spain, russian, arabic, hispaniola, englishman, english, madrid, geneva, castellano

Translations

Every language

adj of or pertaining to Spain

Españolespañol, españolete
한국어스페인의 Seupein-ui, 에스파냐의 Eseupanya-ui
日本語スペインの Supein no
中文西班牙的 Xībānyá de
हिन्दीस्पेनीय spenīya, स्पॅनिश spĕniś, स्पेनी spenī, स्पैनिश spainiś, स्पेनिश speniś
Portuguêsespanhol
Françaisespagnol
Deutschspanisch
Italianospagnolo
Românăspaniol
Русскийиспа́нский ispánskij
Tiếng ViệtTây Ban Nha, Y Pha Nho
العربيةإِسْبَانِيّ ʔisbāniyy
עבריתסְפָרַדִּי s'faradí

adj of or pertaining to the people or culture of Spain

Españolespañol, españolete
中文西班牙的 Xībānyá de, 西班牙人的 xībānyárén de
हिन्दीस्पेनी spenī, स्पैनिश spainiś, स्पेनिश speniś, स्पॅनिश spĕniś
Portuguêsespanhol, hispânico
Deutschspanisch
Românăspaniol

adj of or pertaining to the Spanish language

Españolespañol, castellano
日本語スペイン語 supeingo
中文西班牙文的 xībānyáwén de, 西班牙語的 /西班牙语的 xībānyáyǔ de
हिन्दीस्पेनी spenī, स्पैनिश spainiś, स्पेनिश speniś, स्पॅनिश spĕniś
Portuguêsespanhol, castelhano
Françaisespagnol
Deutschspanisch
Italianospagnolo, castigliano
Românăspaniol
العربيةإسبانية

name Romance language of Spain and the Americas

Españolespañol, castellano
한국어스페인어 seupeineo
日本語スペイン語 supeingo
中文西班牙語 /西班牙语 xībānyáyǔ, 西班牙文 xībānyáwén
हिन्दीस्पैनिश spainiś, स्पेनी spenī, स्पेनिश speniś, स्पॅनिश spĕniś
KiswahiliKihispania
Portuguêsespanhol, castelhano
Françaisespagnol, castillan
DeutschSpanisch
Italianospagnolo
Ελληνικάισπανικά ispaniká, ισπανική γλώσσα ispanikí glóssa
Românăspaniolă
Русскийиспа́нский язы́к ispánskij jazýk, испа́нский ispánskij
Tiếng Việttiếng Tây Ban Nha, tiếng Y Pha Nho
العربيةإِسْبَانِيَّة ʔisbāniyya
עבריתסְפָרַדִּית s'faradít

noun people of Spain, collectively

Españolespañoles, españoletes
日本語スペイン人 supeinjin
中文西班牙人 xībānyárén
हिन्दीस्पेनी spenī, स्पैनिश spainiś, स्पेनिश speniś, स्पॅनिश spĕniś
Portuguêsespanhóis
DeutschSpanier
Românăspanioli
Русскийиспа́нцы ispáncy

noun people of Hispanic origin

Españolhispano, hispana
中文西班牙裔人 xībānyáyì rén
Românăhispanic, hispanică

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"spanish." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/spanish. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

spanish. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/spanish

Chicago

"spanish." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/spanish.

BibTeX
@misc{spanish_2026,
  title = {spanish},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/spanish},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}