Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| abrazo | in Latin America, an embrace. |
| acequia | an irrigation ditch. |
| adelantado | a governor of a province; a commander. |
| adios | goodbye. |
| adobo | a Philippine meat/fish dish. |
| afficionado aficionado | a devotee, admirer, an enthusiastic fan. [Sp. aficionar, to inspire a liking for, a relative of English affection. Aficionado originally applied to devotees of bullfighting, but now applies to any type of enthusiast]. |
| aguardiente | a kind of Spanish or Portuguese brandy. [Sp. agua ardiente, burning water]. |
| alameda | a public walkway between rows of poplar trees. |
| alamo | a kind of poplar. |
| albricias | an expression of joy. |
| alcaiceria | a bazaar. |
| alcorza | a kind of sweet; icing. |
| aldea | a small village or a farm in Portugal, Spain, or one of their former territories. |
| alerce | the wood of the SANDARACH tree, the Chilean arbor vitae. [Sp. alerce, larch]. |
| alfilaria alfileria | a Californian weed, aka pin grass. [Sp. alfiler, pin]. |
| alicant | a wine made near Alicante in Sapin. |
| alligarta | an alligator. |
| alpargata | a light sandal with a hemp or rope sole. |
| alteza | highness. |
| altiplano | a high plateau in Andes. |
| amiga | a female friend. |
| amigo | a male friend. |
| anchoveta | a small fish like an ANCHOVY. |
| aparejo | a kind of pack saddle used in the American military service and among the Spanish Americans. It is made of leather stuffed with hay, moss, or the like. |
| arepa | a usually grilled cornmeal cake served in Latin-American cuisine. |
| armada | a fleet of warships. |
| armadillo | any of a number of burrowing edentate mammals native to S. and Central America. [Sp. dim. of armado armed]. |
| arpillera | a pictorial Peruvian wall decoration consisting of colourful threads and scraps stitched on to a sackcloth backing. |
| arriero | a muleteer > ARRIEROS. |
| arroba | a measure of weight, roughly 25 lbs. |
| arroyo | a dry desert gully. |
| arroz | rice. |
| assiento | a contract or convention between Spain and other powers for furnishing negro slaves for the Spanish dominions in America, esp. the contract made with Great Britain in 1713. |
| atabal | a Moorish drum. |
| atalaya | a watchtower. |
| audiencia | a court of government or justice in the Spanish American empire. |
| autogiro | a rotating wing aircraft. |
| autopista | a motorway. |
| aviso | a dispatch; a notification > AVISOS. |
| avruga | herring roe with a smoky flavour, sometimes used as a substitute for caviar. |
| ayuntamiento | a municipal council > AYUNTAMIENTOS. |
| azulejo | a brightly coloured tile of Near East, Spain and Holland. |
| babaco | a subtropical five-sided fruit related to the PAPAYA. |
| bacalao bacalhau baccala | salted cod. |
| bahada bajada | a broad, sloping depositional deposit caused by the coalescing of alluvial fans. |
| balboa | the monetary unit of Panama. [From Vasco Núñez de Balboa (c.1475—1519), Sp. explorer and discoverer of the Pacific Ocean]. |
| balsa | a raft or float, used principally on the Pacific coast of South America. [Sp. balsa, raft]. |
| bandito | a Mexican bandit > BANDITOS. |
| bandolero | a highwayman. |
| bandora bandore pandora pandore pandure | an ancient lute. |
| barbasco | any of a variety of S. American plants, the roots of which are used to make fish-poison etc > BARBASCOS or BARBASCOES. |
| barilla | the alkali plant, Salsola soda; an impure alkali made by burning this. |
| barracoon | an enclosure or barrack formerly used for temporary confinement of slaves or convicts. |
| barracouta barracuda | a large marine fish resembling the mackerel, aka SNOEK. [Sp. baracuta]. |
| barranca barranco | a ravine caused by heavy rains or a watercourse. |
| barrico | a small cask. |
| barrio | a Spanish-speaking, usu. poor community or district. [Sp. barrio, district, quarter]. |
| bastinado | torture by beating on the soles of the feet; (verb) to torture thus > BASTINADOES. |
| basto | the ace of clubs in quadrille and omber. [Sp. basto, club]. |
| basuco | an impure mixture of coca paste and cocaine. |
| bebeeru | the greenheart tree of Guyana. [Sp. bibirú f. Carib]. |
| beretta berretta biretta birretta | a square cap worn by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics (black by priests, purple by bishops, red by cardinals) or by other clergymen. |
| bilbo bilboa | a rapier or sword. [From the town of Bilbao, famous for its swords]. |
| bodega | a wine-cellar. |
| bodeguero | a man who owns or runs a BODEGA > BODEGUEROS. |
| bola | a throwing weapon. |
| bolero | a Spanish dance with sudden pauses and sharp turns. |
| bolivar | the standard monetary unit of Venezuela> BOLIVARS or BOLIVARES. [From Simon Bolivar, 1783 - 1830] . |
| bolivia | a soft fabric. |
| boliviano | a Bolivian dollar > BOLIVIANOS. |
| bolo | a traditional long-bladed Philippine knife. |
| bolson | a basin-shaped depression surrounded by mountains, esp. in the southern US and Mexico. |
| bonanza | a lucky strike in e.g. mining. |
| bonita bonito | a large fish of the mackerel family > BONITAS; BONITOS or BONITOES. |
| borachio | a Spanish wine-skin; a drunken fellow. |
| bota | a leather bottle. |
| braata broughta | a small portion added to a purchase of food by a vendor to encourage the person to return. {Sp. barata, a bargain]. |
| bracero | a Mexican labourer > BRACEROS. |
| brasero | a place where criminals and heretics are burned > BRASEROS. |
| bravado | an ostentatious display of bravery > BRAVADOS; (verb) to show bravado > BRAVADOES. |
| braza | a Spanish unit of length. |
| broncho bronco | a native or a Mexican horse of small size > BRONCHOS, BRONCOS. [Sp. bronco, tough]. |
| bucardo | an extinct species of mountain goat. |
| burladero | the wooden barrier in a bullring used for protection. [Sp. burlar, to make fun of]. |
| burrito | a Mexican dish consisting of a flour tortilla, filled with meat, beans, chilli etc. |
| burro | a donkey > BURROS. |
| caballero | a Spanish gentleman; a horseman. |
| cabana | a small tent-like cabin. |
| cabestro cabresto cabresta | a lasso. |
| cabezon cabezone | a California fish, allied to the sculpin. |
| cabildo | a town council. |
| cabomba | an aquatic plant. |
| cabretta | a soft sheepskin. |
| cabrie cabrit | a pronghorn antelope. [Sp. cabrito, kid]. |
| cabrilla | a name applied to various species of edible fishes of the genus Serranus, and related genera, inhabiting the Mediterranean, the coast of California, etc. |
| cacafogo cacafuego | a spitfire, a blusterer. |
| cachaca | a white Brazilian rum made from sugarcane. |
| cachucha | an Andalusian dance in three-four time, resembling the bolero. |
| cajon | a steep-sided canyon > CAJONES. [Sp. cajon, box]. |
| calaboose | a prison, jail. [Sp. calabozo, dungeon.] |
| calandria | a sealed vessel through which tubes pass, used in the core of nuclear rectors as a heat exchanger. [Sp. calandria, lark]. |
| caldera | a large, basin-shaped volcanic depression, more or less circular in form. Typically steep-sided, found at the summit of a shield volcano. |
| caliche | gravel, sand, or desert debris cemented by calcium carbonate, an accumulated product of chemical weathering in a dry climate. |
| calima | a dust storm or cloud that spreads from the Sahara into southern Europe. [Sp. calima, haze]. |
| calimocho | a cocktail popular in Spanish-speaking countries, consisting of a mixture of cola and red wine. |
| calisaya | a valuable kind of Peruvian bark obtained from Cinchona calisaya, and other closely related species. |
| callaloo callalou | a soup made with greens, onions and crabmeat. [Amer. Sp. calalu]. |
| camarilla | a group of unofficial often secret and scheming advisors; a cabal. |
| camaron maron | a kind of freshwater crustacean similar to a crayfish. |
| camisade | in mediaeval warfare, a night attack. |
| camisado | a shirt worn by soldiers over their uniform, in order to be able to recognize one another in a CAMISADE or night attack > CAMISADOS or CAMISADOES. |
| camote | in W. Indies, a yam or sweet potato. |
| campanero | the bellbird of South America. [Sp. campanero, bellman]. |
| campeador | a champion, esp. El Cid. |
| campesino | a Latin American peasant farmer > CAMPESINOS. |
| campo | an area of open grassland in S. America > CAMPI or CAMPOS. |
| canada | a narrow canyon (the n has a tilde). |
| canaigre | a large Texan dock, whose root is used in tanning. |
| canasta | a card game similar to rummy. |
| canaster | a kind of tobacco for smoking, made of the dried leaves, coarsely broken; -- so called from the rush baskets in which it is packed in South America. |
| cancha | a court for the playing of jai alai. |
| cancionero | a collection of songs and poems. |
| candelilla | a Mexican wax-yielding spurge. |
| cantina | a bar or saloon; a wine-shop. |
| canyon | a deep narrow gorge or ravine. |
| capa | a Spanish cloak. |
| capitan | (Hist.) the chief admiral of the Turkish fleet. |
| caracara | a South American bird of several species and genera, resembling both the eagles and the vultures. |
| caramba | an interjection expressing annoyance, surprise etc. |
| carbonade carbonado carbonnade | flesh, fowl, etc., cut across, seasoned, and broiled on coals; a chop; (verb) to broil on coals. |
| caribe | a South American fresh water fish of the genus Serrasalmo of many species, remarkable for its voracity. [Sp. caribe, cannibal]. |
| cascabel cascable | the part behind the base-ring of a cannon. |
| cascara | holy bark; the bark of the California buckthorn, used as a mild cathartic or laxative. |
| cascarilla | a West Indian shrub; also, its aromatic bark. |
| casco | a Philippine cargo barge > CASCOS. |
| casita | a small house. |
| caudillo | in Spanish-speaking countries, a military or political leader. |
| cava | a sparkling wine. |
| cay | a low islet. [Sp. cayo, shoal]. |
| cebadilla cevadilla sabadilla | a Mexican liliaceous plant, the seeds of, which contain the alkaloid veratrine, and were formerly used in medicine as an emetic and purgative. [Sp. cebada, barley]. |
| cedilla | a mark placed under the letter c, to show that it is to be sounded like s, as in facade. |
| cedula | a S. American promissory note or mortgage bond on land. [Sp. cédula, schedule]. |
| ceiba | a kind of tropical tree. |
| centavo | a Portuguese coin and monetary unit, one hundredth of the standard unit of currency. |
| centesimo | a copper coin of Italy and Spain equivalent to a centime. |
| centimo | a coin and monetary unit of Spain and South America, one hundredth of the standard unit of currency. |
| cero | a large spiny-finned food fish. [Sp. sierra, saw]. |
| cerrado | an area of wooded savanna in S. America. |
| cerveza | beer. |
| cesta | a basket used in the game of jai alai. |
| ceviche seviche | in Mexican cookery, raw fish marinated in lime juice and served as a hors d'oeuvre. |
| chalupa | a fried corn tortilla sometimes shaped like a boat and usually filled with a savoury mixture as of meat, vegetables or cheese. |
| chamisal | a dense thicket of CHAMISO, a Californian shrub with white flowers. |
| chamise chamiso | a Californian shrub with white flowers, growing in dense thickets. |
| chaparral | a thicket of low evergreen oaks. [Sp. chaparra, dwarf evergreen oak]. |
| chaqueta | a jacket worn by cowboys. |
| charanga | a type of orchestra used to perform Cuban music. |
| charreada | a Mexican entertainment involving competitive riding and herding events. |
| charro | a Mexican cowboy, esp. one elaborately dressed. |
| chicano | an American of Mexican descent. |
| chillada | in Mexican cookery, a spiced fried cake made from pureed vegetables. |
| chino | a strong twilled cotton cloth, usually khaki-coloured. [Sp. chino, toasted]. |
| chipotle | dried chilli pepper. |
| chola | a Mexican-American girl. |
| cholla | a tree-like cactus. |
| chorizo | a highly spiced sausage used in Spanish cooking. |
| chuckwalla | an iguanid lizard of Mexico and the south-western US. [Mex. Sp. chacahuala from Amer. Indian.] |
| chufa | a sedgelike plant producing edible tubers, native about the Mediterranean. |
| churro | a Spanish dough stick > CHURROS. |
| cid | a champion. |
| cigarillo | a small cigar. |
| ciguatera | poisoning caused by the ingestion of various normally edible tropical fish in whose flesh a toxin has accumulated. |
| cilantro | coriander. |
| claro | a light-coloured, mild cigar. |
| cocinera | a cook. |
| cocobola cocobolo | a dark wood used in cabinetry. |
| cohune cahoun | a S. American palm tree. |
| cojones | bull's testicles; (fig.) courage, balls. |
| colibri | a type of humming-bird > COLIBRIS. |
| comanchero | in the 19th century, a person who traded with the Plains Indians. |
| compadre | a male friend or companion. [In Spanish, compadre means godfather; it is also a traditional term of reverence and friendship for a man]. |
| conga | a Latin American dance in which dancers are linked in a single file; (verb) to dance the conga. |
| copita | a tulip-shaped sherry glass. |
| coquilla | the nut of the PIASSAVA palm, whose mottled dark brown endosperm is used by button-makers and turners. |
| coquina | a coarse-grained, porous variety of clastic limestone made up chiefly of shells and shell fragments. |
| coquito | a Chilean palm tree. [Sp. dim. of coco, coconut]. |
| corbina corvina | a bluish-grey whiting of the California coast. |
| cordillera | a mountain ridge or chain. |
| cordoba | the standard monetary unit of Nicaragua. |
| cordovan | goatskin leather. [From Cordoba, the town]. |
| corozo | a S. American short-stemmed palm. |
| corregidor | the chief magistrate of a Spanish town. |
| corrida | a bullfight. |
| coyotillo | a poisonous shrub. |
| cria | the offspring of a llama. |
| criollo | a Latin American native of European esp. Spanish blood. |
| cuadrilla | the attendants of a matador. |
| cuatro | a small guitar-like instrument of Latin America > CUATROS. |
| cubica | a fine worsted fabric used for linings. |
| cuesta | a geological feature: gentle slope on one side, cliff on the other. |
| dinero | a former silver coin of Peru. |
| disembogue | to discharge or pour forth from the mouth (as from a river). [Sp. desembocar, to flow out]. |
| dobla doblon | a former monetary unit of Spain. |
| dona donah | feminine of Don, the title. |
| dorado | a kind of fish > DORADOS. [Sp. dorado, golden]. |
| duende | the power to attract through personal charm. [From Spanish dialectal duende (charm), from Spanish (ghost).] |
| duenna | a governess; a chaperone. |
| duro | a Spanish silver dollar. |
| ejido | a piece of land farmed communally in Mexico. |
| empanada | a pastry turnover. |
| enamorado | a lover. |
| enchilada | a Mexican dish consisting of a rolled stuffed tortilla cooked with a chilli-flavoured sauce. |
| encierro | in Spanish towns, an event in which bulls are driven through the streets of a town to a bull-ring. |
| encina | an evergreen oak. |
| encomienda | a commandery or commander's district. |
| escolar | an Atlantic fish of spectacled appearance. [Sp. escolar, scholar]. |
| escribano | a notary. |
| espada | a sword. |
| espanol | a native of Spain > ESPANOLES. |
| esparto | a tough wiry grass. |
| espumoso | a sparkling wine. |
| estancia | a Spanish-American cattle-estate. |
| exacta | a type of horse-racing bet. |
| faena | a specific matador's movement. |
| fajita | marinated or grilled beef or chicken, served hot, wrapped in flour tortillas. |
| fandango | a lively Spanish dance performed by a couple > FANDANGOS or FANDANGOES. |
| fanega fanegada fanga | a dry measure in Spain and Spanish America, varying from 1 to 2 bushels; also, a measure of land. |
| fanfaron | an empty boaster. [Sp. fanfarrón]. |
| farruca | a gypsy dance with sudden tempo and mood changes. |
| feterita | a cereal grass. |
| fiesta | in Spain or Spanish America: a religious festival; gen. any festivity or holiday. |
| finca | a Spanish villa. |
| fino | a type of light-coloured dry sherry; a glass or drink of such sherry. |
| flamenco | a Spanish dance style. |
| flauta | a usually corn tortilla rolled tightly around a filling as of meat and deep fried. |
| flota | a commercial fleet; especially, a fleet of Spanish ships which formerly sailed every year from Cadiz to Vera Cruz, in Mexico, to transport to Spain the production of Spanish America. |
| fonda | a tavern. |
| frigorifico | a slaughtering and meat-freezing establishment. |
| frijol frijole | the kidney bean > FRIJOLES. |
| frizado | a fine frieze-like fabric > FRIZADOS. |
| fuero | a Basque law code. |
| fumado | a salted and smoked fish, as the pilchard. |
| gaita | a Spanish bagpipe. |
| galapago | a kind of tortoise > GALAPAGOS. |
| galleta | a perennial grass. [Sp. galleta, hardtack]. |
| gallinazo | a turkey-buzzard or other vulture > GALLINAZOS. |
| gambusia | a small fish. |
| garbanzo | chickpea seed > GARBANZOS. |
| gauchesco | of a type of Spanish poetry inspired by the life, language and customs of the gaucho. |
| gaucho | a cowboy of the pampas. |
| gazpacho | a chilled soup with tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and herbs > GAZPACHOS. |
| gitana | a female gypsy. Cf. GITANO. |
| gitano | a male gypsy. Cf. GITANA. |
| gordita | a small thick TORTILLA. |
| gracioso | a clown in a Spanish comedy. |
| grama gramma | a kind of pasture grass found in the Western United States. |
| granadilla grenadilla | the fruit of certain species of passion flower found in Brazil and the West Indies. |
| guacharo | a nocturnal bird of South America and Trinidad, aka OILBIRD. |
| guaco | any of several tropical American plants used as antidotes to snake-bites. |
| guango | the rain tree or SAMAN. [Sp., prob. from Quechua]. |
| guava | a small tropical myrtaceous tree; its yellow, pear-shaped fruit. |
| guayabera | a short-sleeved, lightweight sports shirt designed to be worn untucked. |
| guiro | a notched gourd used as a percussion instrument in Latin America. |
| habanera | a slow and seductive Cuban dance. |
| habanero | a slow and seductive Cuban dance > HABANEROS. Also HABANERA. |
| hacendado | the owner or proprietor of a HACIENDA, a landed estate, a ranch. |
| hacienda | a landed estate, a ranch. |
| hackamore | a halter consisting of a long leather or rope strap and headstall, used for leading a pack animal. [Sp. jaquima]. |
| hasta | until. |
| henequen heniquin heniquen henequin | Mexican agave, its leaf-fibre, used for cordage. |
| hermandad | a confederation of the entire burgher class of Spain for police and judicial purposes. [Sp. hermandad, brotherhood]. |
| hidalga | a title, denoting a Spanish noblewoman of the lower class. Cf. HIDALGO. |
| hidalgo | a title, denoting a Spanish nobleman of the lower class. Cf. HIDALGA. |
| hombre | a man. |
| honda | part of a lariat. |
| hoosegow hoosgow | (US sl.) a prison, jail. [Sp. juzgado, judgment]. |
| hornito | a low volcanic mound > HORNITOS. |
| huaquero | an Latin America, a person who steals antiquities and relics from tombs. |
| huarache huaracho guaracha guarache guarachi | a flat-heeled sandal. |
| huipil | an embroidered dress of Mexico > HUIPILS or HUIPILES. |
| hutia | a rodent of the family Capromyidae, comprising W. Indian animals resembling cavies and related to the coypu. |
| incommunicado | without means of communication. [From pp. of Spanish incomunicar]. |
| infanta | a title borne by every one of the daughters of the kings of Spain and Portugal, except the eldest. |
| infante | a title borne by every one of sons of the kings of Spain and Portugal, except the eldest or heir apparent. |
| jalapeno | an especially hot type of Capsicum pepper. |
| jamon | designating a type of ham. |
| jefe | a chief. |
| jipijapa jipyapa | a palm-like tree of tropical America. [From a town in Ecuador]. Also JIPYAPA. |
| jojoba | a desert shrub of the box family. |
| jota | a Spanish dance in triple time. |
| junco | a kind of bird. [Sp. from L. juncus rush]. |
| junta junto | a secret council to deliberate on affairs of government or politics; a number of men combined for party intrigue; a faction; a cabal; as, a junto of ministers; a junto of politicians. |
| ladino | a fast-growing clover. |
| ladron ladrone latron | a robber; a pirate; hence, loosely, a rogue or rascal. |
| lagnappe lagniappe | a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of purchase; broadly, something given or obtained gratuitously. |
| lariat | a lassoo; (verb) to lassoo. [Sp. la reata the rope]. |
| latigo | a strap for tightening a cinch. |
| latino | a Latin American. |
| linalol linalool | a fragrant liquid alcohol, used to make perfume, obtained from oil of rosewood. [Sp. from L. lignum aloes]. |
| llanero | one of the inhabitants of the LLANOS of South America. |
| llano | an extensive plain with or without vegetation. |
| locofoco | a match or cigar which can be lit by friction on any rough surface. |
| machaca | a Mexican dish of shredded meat with fried vegetables. |
| machete | a large knife. |
| machismo | the quality of being macho; male virility, masculine pride; a show of this. |
| macho | aggressively virile; (noun) a man of this type. |
| macoya macahuba | an American palm, whose nuts yield a violet-scented oil. [Sp. macoya, from Arawak]. |
| madre | mother |
| madrona madrone madrono | a Californian tree of the Arbutus genus. |
| maduro | a kind of cigar. |
| maguey | the century plant, a species of agave. |
| malaguena | a Spanish dance performed by a couple, similar to the FANDANGO. |
| manana | tomorrow, at an unspecified time in the future. |
| manchego | a cheese made from ewes' milk > MANCHEGOS. |
| manchineel | a tropical tree with poisonous latex. [Sp. manzanilla, little apple]. |
| manilla | a horseshoe-shaped ring used esp. for ceremonial exchanges in parts of W. Africa. |
| manta | a rough-textured cotton fabric; a kind of ray. [Sp. manta, blanket]. |
| mantilla | a light cloak, cape or veil. |
| manzanilla | a very dry, light sherry. |
| manzanita | a Californian shrub with reddish smooth bark, ovate or oval coriaceous evergreen leaves, and bearing clusters of red berries. |
| maqui | a Chilean evergreen shrub. |
| maquila | a US-owned factory in Mexico. |
| maquiladora | a manufacturing plant in Mexico that produce parts for assembly in the United States. |
| mara | a criminal gang in the US or Central America. |
| maravedi | a small copper coin of Spain. |
| marero | a member of a mara in the US or Central America. |
| margarita | a cocktail of tequila, lime and lemon-juice. |
| mariachi | designating a form of Mexican dance music; (noun) any of a group of musician playing this > MARIACHIS. |
| marihuana marijuana | Indian hemp; its dried flowers or leaves smoked as an intoxicant. |
| marinera | a Peruvian folk-dance danced in pairs. |
| mariposa | in full mariposa lily, mariposa tulip. Any plant of the genus Calochortus, of the lily family, the members of which have brightly coloured flowers and are native to western N. America. [Sp. mariposa, butterfly]. |
| maroquin | goat leather, morocco leather. |
| marrano | a Jew who has converted to Christianity to avoid persecution. |
| masa | in Mexican cooking, a dough made from masa harina, ground, dried maize and used to make tamales etc. [Sp. masa, dough, from L. massa, a lump]. |
| matachin | a masked sword-dancer; the sword-dance itself > MATACHINI. |
| matador matadore | the man who kills the bull in bullfights. |
| matico | a Peruvian plant, allied to the pepper, the leaves of which are used as a styptic and astringent. |
| melicotton melocoton melocotoon | a kind of large peach. |
| menudo | a kind of Mexican soup > MENUDOS. |
| mercado | a market. |
| merengue | a Caribbean ballroom dance in which feet are frequently dragged. |
| merino | a soft woollen or wool and cotton cloth. |
| meseta | a plateau, esp. that of central Spain. |
| mesteso mestizo mestino | a person of mixed, esp. Spanish and American-Indian parentage. |
| mestiza | a female MESTIZO, a person of mixed, esp. Spanish and American-Indian parentage. |
| milpa | in Central America and Mexico, a small cultivated field, usu. of corn or maize. |
| mirador | a belvedere or watchtower. [Sp. mirar, to look, observe]. |
| mistico | a kind of small sailing vessel used in the Mediterranean, rigged partly like a XEBEC, and partly like a FELUCCA > MISTICOS. |
| mochila | a large leather flap which covers the saddletree. |
| mojarra | any of various small percoid fishes of the family Gerreidae. |
| mojito | a traditional Cuban cocktail. |
| mona | a kind of West African monkey. |
| monte | a favorite gambling game among Spaniards, played with dice or cards. |
| montero | a huntsman's cap with side flaps > MONTEROS. |
| morro | a rounded hill or headland > MORROS. |
| motmot | any of several mainly insectivorous passerine birds of the neotropical family Momotidae. |
| moustachio mustachio | a large, elegantly curling moustache. |
| muchacho | boy; manservant. |
| mucho | very. |
| muleta | the red cape used by matadors. |
| mundungo mundungus | a foul-smelling tobacco. [A joking adaptation from Sp. mondongo, tripe]. |
| muscavado muscovado | raw or unrefined sugar obtained from the juice of the sugar cane by evaporation and draining off the molasses > MUSCAVADOS, MUSCOVADOS. |
| nacho | a corn chip, topped with cheese or beans > NACHOS. |
| nada | nothing; nothingness. |
| nopalito | a small cactus > NOPALITOS. |
| nortena | (used by Latin Americans) a female North American. |
| norteno | (used by Latin Americans) a male North American. |
| nutria | the fur of the COYPU. [Sp. nutria, otter]. |
| olingo | a small nocturnal, chiefly arboreal mammal native to Central and S. America. [Sp. nutria, otter]. |
| olinguito | a small animal related to the olingo, living in the forests of Colombia and Ecuador. |
| olla | a pot or jar having a wide mouth; a cinerary urn, especially one of baked clay. Olla podrida (lit. rotten pot): a kind of rich stew. [Sp. olla, pot]. |
| oloroso | a golden-coloured medium-sweet sherry. [Sp. oloroso, fragrant]. |
| omber ombre | a card game. [Sp. hombre, man]. |
| oregano origan origane | wild marjoram. |
| pachuco | a flashy Mexican-American youth. |
| paderero paterero pederero pedrero | a term formerly applied to a short piece of chambered ordnance. |
| paella | a saffron-flavored Spanish dish of rice and vegetable, meat, chicken, or seafood. |
| paisano | a fellow countryman; the chaparral cock > PAISANOS not PAISANI* - despite the fact that PAESANO can be either PAESANI or PAESANOS in the plural. |
| palabra | a word; talk. |
| palamino palomino | of a horse, having a golden or tan coat, white or cream neck. |
| palmetto | any of various usu. small and sometimes stemless fan palms. |
| paloverde | a desert shrub with spiny, yellow flowers. [Sp. 'green tree']. |
| pampero | a violent wind from the west or southwest, which sweeps over the pampas of South America and the adjacent seas, often doing great damage. |
| panada | a thick sauce used to bind quenelles, forcemeats and rissoles. |
| panatela panatella panetela panetella | a long thin cigar. |
| panocha panoche | a Mexican coarse sugar. |
| papaya papaw pawpaw | the melon-shaped fruit of the tree Carica papaya, much eaten in tropical countries, which has pinkish or orange flesh enclosing a mass of dark grey seeds. |
| parador | a type of tourist accommodation, e.g. a converted castle, in Spain. |
| paramo | a high, bleak plateau or district, with stunted trees, and cold, damp atmosphere, as in the Andes, in South America > PARAMOS. |
| pargo | a kind of food fish > PARGOS or PARGOES. |
| pase | a movement of a matador's cloak. [Sp. pase, pass]. |
| pasear | (US slang) to take a walk. |
| paseo | a leisurely stroll; the march of bullfighters into the arena. |
| pasodoble | a fast modern ballroom dance. |
| passado | a forward thrust in fencing. |
| peccadillo | a slight offense or sin > PECCADILLOS or PECCADILLOES. |
| pelota | a Basque game played with rackets. |
| penoche penuche penuchi | a fudge-like candy. |
| peon | a day-labourer, esp. in Spanish-speaking America. |
| pepino | a purple-striped pale yellow fruit with sweet flesh > PEPINOS. |
| pepita | the edibe dried seed of a pumpkin or squash. |
| perfecta | a form of bet in which the punter has to select and place in order the first two horses, dogs etc. Cf. TRIFECTA. |
| perfecto | a large tapering cigar > PERFECTOS. |
| pericon | an Argentinan folk-dance performed by couples dancing in a ring > PERICONES. |
| peseta | a unit of Spanish currency. |
| peso | a Spanish dollar; also, an Argentine, Chilian, Colombian, etc., coin, equal to from 75 cents to a dollar; also, a pound weight. |
| picacho | an isolated peak of a hill > PICACHOS. |
| picadillo | a Mexican dish > PICADILLOS. |
| picador | a matador's asistant, a mounted bull-fighter with a lance > PICADORS or PICADORES. |
| picara | a woman who behaves like a picador, an adventuress. |
| picaro | a rogue. |
| picaroon pickaroon | a pirate ship; (verb) to act as a pirate. |
| pimento pimiento | allspice or Jamaica pepper, the dried unripe fruits of a W. Indian tree. |
| pinata | a hollow pottery figure filled with sweets etc. and hung from the ceiling, at a Christmas or other party in Latin America. |
| pinole | an American Indian food consisting of parched ground cereal grains. [Sp. from Aztec pinolli]. |
| pinon pinyon | an edible pine seed; the tree bearing it > PINONS or PINONES; PINYONS. |
| pinta | a skin disease widespread in tropical America, caused by a spirochaete and characterized by rough blotchy skin. |
| pintadera | a decorative stamp, usually made of clay, found in certain Neolithic cultures. |
| pinto | mottled, piebald; (noun) a piebald horse > PINTOS. [Sp. pinto, painted]. |
| piquillo | a variety of sweet red pepper > PIQUILLOS. |
| pistareen | an old Spanish silver coin of the value of about twenty cents. |
| pitahaya pitaya | a giant cactus of Central America. Also PITAYA. |
| platina | platinum. [Sp. dim. of plata, silver]. |
| playa | a basin which becomes a shallow lake after heavy rain, and dries out again. |
| plaza | a square, e.g. in a town. |
| pompano | any one of several species of marine fishes of the genus Trachynotus, of which four species are found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. |
| poncho | a South American cloak > PONCHOS. |
| ponderosa | a kind of pine found in the US. |
| posada | in Mexico, each of a series of visits traditionally paid to different friends during the days before Christmas, representing Mary and Joseph's search for lodging in Bethlehem. |
| presidio | a place of defense; a fortress; a garrison. |
| primero | a gambling card-game, fashionable in the 16th and 17th cents., in which each player was dealt four cards. |
| privado | a private friend; a confidential friend; a confidant > PRIVADOES or PRIVADOS. |
| pueblo | a communistic building erected by certain Indian tribes of Arizona and New Mexico. It is often of large size and several stories high, and is usually built either of stone or adobe. |
| pundonor | a point of honor. |
| pungle | (US coll). to make a payment or contribution of money. [Sp. pongale, put it down]. |
| quebracho | any of several tropical American trees and their timber or bark. [Sp. quebrar, to break + hacho, axe]. |
| quena | a type of bamboo flute from the Andes. |
| querida | a Mexican term of endearment, sweetheart. |
| quesadilla | a TORTILLA filled with cheese, chillis etc. folded and fried. |
| quiniela quinela quinella | a bet whereby the bettor must pick first two winners of a race but not necessarily in order. |
| quinta | a country house in Spain or Portugal. |
| ramada | an outdoor eating area with roof but open sides. |
| rambla | a dry ravine; a broad avenue esp in Barcelona. |
| ramona | any of the various plants S. officinalis having aromatic greyish-green leaves, aka SAGEBRUSH. |
| ranchera | a type of Mexian country music. |
| rancheria | in Spanish America and the western US: a collection of Indian huts; a place or house where a number of rancheros live. |
| ranchero | in Mexico and the south-western US, a rancher > RANCHEROS. |
| rancho | a rude hut, as of posts, covered with branches or thatch, where herdsmen or farm laborers may live or lodge at night. |
| reata riata | a lariat. |
| rebozo | a long scarf worn chiefly by Mexican women. |
| reformade reformado | a monk of a reformed order > REFORMADES; REFORMADOS or REFORMADOES. |
| rejon | a lance with a wooden handle, used in bullfighting > REJONES. |
| rejoneador | a mounted bullfighter who uses REJONES, a lance with a wooden handle. |
| rejoneo | the art of bullfighting on horseback using REJONES. |
| relleno | a Mexican dish of stuffed vegetables > RELLENOS. |
| remuda | a herd of horses from which ranch hands select their mounts. |
| renegado | a renegade > RENEGADOS or RENEGADOES. |
| retama retem | a name for various desert plants, e.g. Spanish broom. |
| rhumba rumba | a kind of dance. |
| ria | a drowned valley. [Sp. ria, river-mouth]. |
| rioja | a Spanish red wine. |
| robalo | a kind of marine fish > ROBALOS. [Sp. robalo, bass]. |
| roble | a name for various species of oak. |
| roncador | any one of several species of California sciaenoid food fishes. [Sp. roncar, to snore, snort]. |
| ruana | a woollen outer garment resembling a poncho, worn in parts of S. America. |
| rueda | a Cuban street dance, performed in a circle, featuring many turns and changes of partner. |
| sacaton zacaton | a type of coarse perennial grass growing in alkaline regions of the southern US. |
| sagrada | as in cascara sagrada, dried bark of the cascara buckthorn, used as a purgative. No —S. |
| saguaro sahuaro | a kind of cactus. |
| salina | a salt lagoon. |
| salsa | a rhythmic Latin-American big-band dance music; a dance performed to this; (verb) to do such a dance. [Sp. salsa, sauce]. |
| sanbenito | a Spanish Inquisition garment resembling a scapular, worn by penitent heretics. |
| sangaree sangria | a summer drink consisting of lemon juice, claret, sugar, ice; any sweetened wine drink. |
| santera | a priestess of SANTERIA, a Caribbean religion. |
| santeria | a Caribbean religion composed of elements from both traditional African religion and Roman Catholicism. |
| santero | a priest of SANTERIA, a Caribbean religion > SANTEROS. |
| santo | the wooden image of a saint. |
| santon | an Eastern dervish or saint. |
| sapodilla zapotilla sapota | the edible fruit of a Mexican tree. |
| saraband sarabande | a stately court dance of the 17th and 18th centuries, resembling the minuet. [Sp. zarabanda]. |
| sarape serape zarape | a blanket or shawl worn as an outer garment by the Spanish Americans, as in Mexico. |
| sargo sargos sargus | a fish, sea-bream. |
| sarsaparilla | any tropical American plant of the genus Smilax; a drink or medicine prepared from it. |
| sassafras | an American tree of the Laurel family; also, the bark of the roots, which has an aromatic smell and taste. |
| savanna savannah | tropical grassland. |
| seguidilla | a Spanish folk dance. |
| selva | a wet forest in the Amazon basin. |
| senhor senor | a mode of address for a man. |
| senhora senora | a mode of address for a woman. |
| senhorita senorita | a mode of address for an unmarried woman. |
| seron seroon ceroon | a crate or hamper; a bale wrapped in hide. |
| serrano | a Mexican hot pepper > SERRANOS. |
| sicario | a hired assassin, esp. in Latin America. |
| sierra | a ridge of mountain and craggy rocks, with a serrated or irregular outline; as, the Sierra Nevada. |
| siesta | a midday or afternoon nap. |
| sinsemilla | a kind of marijuana. [Sp. 'without seed']. |
| solano | a hot, dry south-easterly wind (often sand-laden) that brings suffocating weather over the Andalusian Plain in N. Spain. |
| soldado | a soldier. |
| solera | a system of sherry production involving the blending of wines from different casks; the casks used in this process. |
| sombrero | a Mexican hat. |
| supremo | a supreme head, a leader with unlimited powers > SUPREMOS. |
| taco | in Mexican cooking, a very thin rolled pancake with a meat filling. |
| talayot | a prehistoric stone monument of the Balearic Isles. [Sp. atalaya, a lookout]. |
| tapacolo tapaculo | a small S. American passerine bird with a tilted tail. [Sp. 'cover posterior']. |
| tapadera tapadero | the leather guard in front of a Mexican stirrup. |
| taqueria | a Mexican restaurant serving mainly tacos. |
| tartana | a small covered wagon. |
| temblor | an earthquake or earth tremor > TEMBLORS or TEMBLORES. |
| tenace | the holding by the fourth hand of the best and third best cards of a suit led; also, sometimes, the combination of best with third best card of a suit in any hand. [Sp. tenaza, pincers]. |
| tepache | a Mexican drink made with pineapple, brown sugar and water. |
| tercio tertia | an infantry regiment, originally Spanish. |
| tilde | the accentual mark placed over n in Spanish words, indicating that, in pronunciation, the sound of the following vowel is to be preceded by that of the initial, or consonantal, y. |
| tinaja | a large earthenware jar used in Spain for storing wine. |
| toledo | a sword or sword blade made at Toledo in Spain, which city was famous in the 16th and 17th centuries for the excellence of its weapons. |
| tomatillo | a plant of the nightshade family, native to Mexico. |
| toquilla | a S. American palm-like tree; a fibre obtained from its leaves. [Sp. dim. of toca, toque]. |
| toreador | a bull-fighter, esp. on horseback. |
| torero | a bullfighter on foot > TOREROS. |
| tornado | a violent storm over a limited area, with whirling winds, a cyclone > TORNADOS or TORNADOES. |
| tornillo | a flowering shrub, aka the screw-bean > TORNILLOS. [Sp. dim. of torno, turn]. |
| tostone | a Mexican dish of fried plantains. |
| toro | a bull. |
| tortilla | an unleavened cake, as of maize flour, baked on a heated iron or stone. |
| tostada tostado | a tortilla fried until crisp with a savoury topping. |
| toyon | an ornamental evergreen shrub. [Mex. Sp. tollón.] |
| trifecta | a wager whereby the bettor must pick the first three places in the correct order. Cf. PERFECTA. |
| turista | intestinal sickness affecting a tourist in a foreign country. |
| urao | a native hydrated double salt of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, occurring esp. as an evaporite. Also called TRONA. |
| valeta veleta | a kind of dance. [Sp. veleta, weather-cock]. |
| vanilla | a fragrant substance obtained from dried vanilla pods or synthesized, used to flavour chocolate, ice-cream, etc., and in perfumery. |
| vaquero | one who has charge of cattle, horses, etc.; a herdsman. |
| vara vare | a Spanish American linear measure. [Sp. vara, rod]. |
| vargueno | a cabinet or desk of a kind made at Vargas near Toledo > VARGUENOS. |
| vega | a low fertile plain; a tobacco field. |
| vellon | a copper and silver alloy used in Spanish coinage. Cf. BILLON. |
| ventana | a window. |
| verruga | a fever with warty tumours, endemic in Peru. [Sp. verruga, wart]. |
| viga | a ceiling beam. [Sp. viga, beam, rafter]. |
| vigia | a danger warning on a chart. |
| vigilante | any person executing summary justice in the absence or breakdown of legally constituted law enforcement bodies. |
| vihuela | an old Spanish musical instrument related to the guitar. |
| viscachera | a settlement of VISCACHAS, a gregarious burrowing S. American rodent. |
| volante | a horse-drawn carriage or wagon, esp. of a two-wheeled covered type, used in Cuba and formerly in other Spanish- speaking countries. |
| vomito | a form of yellow fever > VOMITOS. |
| yacca | a West Indian name for two large timber trees of the Yew family. [Sp. yaca, from Taino]. |
| yanqui | in Latin America, a North American. |
| yerba | (an infusion of) the leaves of a S. American shrub. [Sp. from L. herba]. |
| zabra | a small vessel used off the Spanish coast. |
| zamarra zamarro | a shepherd's sheepskin coat. |
| zambomba | a Spanish musical instrument consisting of parchment over a jar. |
| zanja | an irrigation canal in Latin America. |
| zanjero | someone who supervises the distribution of water in irrigation canals. |
| zapateado | a Latin-American dance with rhythmic tapping of the feet > ZAPATEADOS. |
| zapateo | a Spanish dance. |
| zarzuela | a traditional Spanish vaudeville show; a fish and shellfish stew. |
| zocalo | a plaza in Mexico > ZOCALOS. |
| zonda | a dry, hot wind blowing from the Andes across the Argentine pampas, during July and August. |
| zoril zorilla zorille | a striped carnivorous mammal of the weasel family of sub-Saharan Africa. |
| zorillo | a South American skunk > ZORILLOS. |
| zorino | a euphemism for skunk fur as used to make garments > ZORINOS. |
| zorro | a kind of South American fox > ZORROS. |