Italian–English dictionary

specioso

Seemingly well-reasoned, plausible or true, but actually fallacious.

speck

(uncountable) A juniper-flavoured ham originally from Tyrol.

speculare

(transitive, or, intransitive) To deal in stocks or any commodity with a view to speculative profits.

speculativo

Characterized by speculation; based on guessing, unfounded opinions, or extrapolation.

speculatore

(finance, art) Someone who flips, in the sense of buying a house or other asset and selling it quickly for profit.

speculazione

A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account.

spedire

(transitive) To send (a parcel or container) to a recipient (by any means of transport).

spedizione

A trip, especially a long one, made by a person or a group of people for a specific purpose

spedizione di caccia

A hunting expedition.

spegnere

To be turned off or extinguished.

spegnimento

The action of stopping operations; a closing, of a computer, business, event, etc.

spellare

To strip the skin off; to skin.

spelonca

A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside.

spelta

A grain, considered either a subspecies of wheat, Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta, or a separate species Triticum spelta or Triticum dicoccon.

spendaccione

Someone who spends money improvidently or wastefully.

spendere

(transitive) To consume, exhaust (some resource).

spendere profusamente

(transitive) To give out extremely generously; to squander.

spennacchiare

(transitive) To remove feathers from (a bird).

spennare

(transitive) To remove feathers from (a bird).

spennellare

(transitive) To apply with a brush.

spensieratamente

lightly

spensierato

Without cares or worries; free of concern or worries; without difficulty.

spento

Having no shine or lustre; dull.

Speranza

(rare) A en given name.

speranzosamente

(uncomparable) It is hoped that; I hope; we hope. [from 18th c.]

speranzosità

The property of being hopeful.

speranzoso

feeling hope

sperare

To want (something) to happen, with a sense of expectation that it might [with that (+ clause); or (informal) with clause; or with so or (negative) not].

spergiura

someone who has committed perjury by lying under oath

spergiuro

someone who has committed perjury by lying under oath

spericolato

A person who engages in very risky behavior, especially one who is motivated by a craving for excitement or attention. [from 1794]

sperimentale

Serving as an experiment; serving to experiment.

sperimentare

(transitive) To observe certain events; undergo a certain feeling or process; or perform certain actions that may alter one or contribute to one's knowledge, opinions, or skills.

sperlano

Any smelt of species Osmerus eperlanus, common in fresh waters of northern Europe.

sperma

(uncountable) Semen.

spermaceti

(chemistry) Sperm oil; whale oil from a sperm whale; spermaceti.

spermateca

(anatomy) A small sac within the reproductive tract of some female invertebrates, such as insects, which stores sperm until it is used to fertilize the ova.

spermatozoo

(countable) The reproductive cell or gamete of the male; a spermatozoon.

speronare

(ambitransitive) To collide with (an object), usually with the intention of damaging it or disabling its function.

sperone

(nautical) A protruding part of the foremost section of a sailing ship.

sperperare

(transitive, figurative) To squander or waste.

spesa

Amount of money, time, etc. that is required or used.

spese di spedizione

The cost of sending an item or package using postal or carrier services.

spesso

(informal) Often; frequently.

spessore

(uncountable) The property of being thick (in dimension).

spettacolare

Making, or tending to make, a positive impression; having power to impress.

spettacolarmente

In a spectacular manner, extraordinarily, amazingly.

spettacolo

A stage show made up of topical sketches etc.

spettacolo pubblico

An elaborate public display, especially a parade in historical or traditional costume.

spettanza

A written note of goods sold, services rendered, or work done, with the price or charge; an invoice.

spettare

(intransitive) To apply; to be or remain in place; to continue to be applicable.

spettatore

A spectator; someone looks on or watches, without becoming involved or participating.

spettatrice

One who observes, sees, or views something; an observer.

spettegolare

To blab; to reveal a secret.

spettrale

Of or pertaining to ghosts or spirits.

spettro

A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.

spettrometro

(analytical chemistry) An optical instrument for measuring the absorption of light by chemical substances; typically it will plot a graph of absorption versus wavelength or frequency, and the patterns produced are used to identify the substances present, and their internal structure.

spettroscopio

(analytical chemistry) An optical instrument for measuring the absorption of light by chemical substances; typically it will plot a graph of absorption versus wavelength or frequency, and the patterns produced are used to identify the substances present, and their internal structure.

spezia

(countable, uncountable) Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food.

speziare

(transitive) To add spice or spices to; season.

speziato

Of, pertaining to, or containing spice.

spezie

(countable, uncountable) Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food.

spezzare

(intransitive, of a voice) To alter in type due to emotion or strain: in men, generally to go up, in women, sometimes to go down; to crack.

spezzarsi

(intransitive, of a voice) To alter in type due to emotion or strain: in men, generally to go up, in women, sometimes to go down; to crack.

spezzatino

Food, especially meat and potatoes, chopped and mixed together. corn-beef hash

spezzettamento

The act of breaking up; disintegration or division.

spezzettare

To squish so as to break into smaller pieces or to combine with something else.

spezzone

(military) An antipersonnel bomb that scatters shrapnel when it explodes

spia

(slang) An informer or snitch; a squealer.

spiaccicare

(transitive, informal) To squeeze, compress, or crush (especially something moist).

spiaccicarsi

To be crushed with a noisy crackling sound.

spiacente

Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.

spiacenti

Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.

spiacevole

Not pleasant.

spiacevolezza

(uncountable) The property of being unpleasant or disagreeable.

spiaggia

A horizontal strip of land, usually sandy, adjoining water.

spiaggiare

(transitive) To run (something) aground on a beach.

spianare

(transitive, obsolete) To place in an equal state, as to obligation, or in a state in which nothing is due on either side; to balance, as accounts; to make quits.

spianata

A large open space in or in front of a building where people can gather, particularly one joining various paths, as in a rail station or airport terminal, or providing access to and linking the platforms in a railway terminus.

spiare

(transitive) To install an electronic listening device or devices in.

spiattellare

To blab; to reveal a secret.

spiazzante

That makes one troubled or uneasy; disquieting or distressing.

spiazzo

An open space in the fog etc.

spiccare

(intransitive) To be much better than others.

spicchio

(horticulture, cooking) One of the small bulbs formed in the axils of the scales of a large bulb.

spicciativo

Rudely abrupt; curt, unfriendly.

spiccio

Rudely abrupt; curt, unfriendly.

spiegare

(transitive) To explain by relating circumstances; to show that some one, thing or members of a group are present or have been processed.

spiegazione

A critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text.

spiegazzare

(transitive) To make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles.

spiegazzato

(chiefly, anatomy, zoology) Having numerous overlapping coils or folds; convolute.

spietatamente

In a pitiless manner.

spietato

Showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless.

spifferare

(idiomatic) To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

spiffero

A current of air, usually coming into a room or vehicle.

spifferoso

(of a, building etc.) Not properly sealed against drafts (draughts).

spiga

(countable) The fruiting body of a grain plant.

spighetta

(botany) A small, or secondary spike, especially one of many in the inflorescence of a grass or sedge.

spigola

A highly appreciated marine food fish found in the coastal waters of eastern Atlantic from Cape Verde to southern Norway and in the Mediterranean, (Dicentrarchus labrax).

spigolatore

One who gleans.

spigolatrice

One who gleans.

spigolo

(geometry) A one-dimensional face of a polytope. In particular, the joining line between two vertices of a polygon; the place where two faces of a polyhedron meet.

spilla

A piece of ornamental jewellery having a pin allowing it to be fixed to garments worn on the upper body.

spillare

(transitive) To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.

spillatrice

A device which binds together sheets of paper by driving a thin metal staple through the sheets and simultaneously folding over the ends of the staple against the back surface of the paper.

spilletta

(US) A simple accessory that can be attached to clothing with a pin or fastener, often round and bearing a design, logo or message, and used for decoration, identification or to show political affiliation, etc.

spillo

A needle without an eye (usually) made of drawn-out steel wire with one end sharpened and the other flattened or rounded into a head, used for fastening.

spilorcia

(obsolete) A person who is wretched or despicable; a wretch.

spilorcio

(chiefly, UK) Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.

spilungona

(by extension, derogatory) A person or animal regarded as resembling a scarecrow (sense 1) in some way; especially, a tall, thin, awkward person; or a person wearing ragged and tattered clothes.

spilungone

(informal) A tall, thin person.

spina

A bone from a fish.

spina dorsale

(countable) The series of vertebrae, separated by disks, that encloses and protects the spinal cord, and runs down the middle of the back in vertebrate animals.

spinaci

A particular edible plant, Spinacia oleracea, or its leaves.

spinacio

A particular edible plant, Spinacia oleracea, or its leaves.

spinale

(anatomy, zootomy) Of or relating to the spine.

spinella

A benign bony growth, often covered with cartilage, on the surface of a bone or tooth.

spinello

(slang) A marijuana cigarette.

spingarda

An old style of muzzleloading firearm and early form of shotgun with a distinctive short, large caliber barrel that is flared at the muzzle, therefore able to fire scattered quantities of nails, stones, shot, etc. at short range.

spingere

(transitive) (especially of animals) To impel or urge onward by force; to push forward; to compel to move on.

spinone

A breed of dog usually called the Brussels griffon, reminiscent of the legendary creature.

spinotto

(also, attributively) A circular or cylindrical fitting, often made of metal, into which a pin or pintle fits to create a hinge or pivoting joint.

spinta

A push from behind or below, as to one who is endeavoring to climb.

spintarella

A gentle push.

spinto

(of a device) Having its own source of power, or a named source.

spintonare

(transitive) To push, especially roughly or with force.

spionaggio

The act or process of learning secret information through clandestine means.

spioncino

A small hole, opening, or piece of glass, especially in a door, through which one can look without being seen.

spione

(countable, slang) A police informant.

spira

A single loop of a coil.

spiraglio

A narrow opening.

spirale

Initialism of intrauterine device.

spirare

(weather) To blow gently.

spiritello

(mythology, literature) Any of numerous figures featuring in various mythologies and folk traditions, who use guile and secret knowledge to challenge authority and play tricks and pranks on others with their acts of trickery; any similar figure in literature.

spiritico

Of or pertaining to ghosts or spirits.

spiritismo

A philosophical doctrine, established in France in the mid nineteenth century, postulating that humans are essentially immortal spirits that temporarily inhabit physical bodies, and may have influence on the physical world.

spirito

A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.

spirito del tempo

The spirit of the age; the taste, outlook, and spirit characteristic of a period.

spirito famigliare

(witchcraft) An attendant spirit, often in animal or demon form.

spirito imprenditoriale

The quality of being an entrepreneur.

spiritosaggine

A sharply humorous comment; a wisecrack.

spiritosità

a witty remark; a bon mot; an epigram; a zinger.

spiritoso

Spirited; resolute; unyielding.

spiritual

A Christian religious song, especially one in an African-American style, or a similar non-religious song.

spirituale

Of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul.

spiritualità

Concern for that which is unseen and intangible, as opposed to physical or mundane.

spiumare

(transitive) To con or trick (someone) out of money.

splancnico

(medicine) Of, in, near or pertaining to the viscera or intestines.

splendente

Shining brightly.

splendere

(intransitive, copulative) To emit or reflect light so as to glow.