Spanish–English dictionary

médano

(geomorphology) A ridge or hill of sand piled up by currents of wind or water.

Medea

(Greek mythology) An enchantress who helped Jason obtain the Golden Fleece.

Medellín

A city and departmental capital of Antioquia department, Colombia; the second-largest city in Colombia.

media

(mathematics) The arithmetic mean.

media naranja

A person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wife.

media vuelta

(military) An abrupt turn to face the opposite direction.

mediación

(museology, education) The practice and discipline of explaining natural and cultural heritage, used in museums, zoos, historic sites, galleries, etc.

mediador

One who negotiates between parties seeking mutual agreement.

medial

Occupying a middle position; middle.

medialuna

Shaped like a crescent.

mediamente

In two equal parts or to an equal degree.

mediana

(statistics) A number separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, population, or probability distribution. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to highest value and picking the middle one (e.g., the median of {3, 3, 5, 9, 11} is 5). If there is an even number of observations, then there is no single middle value; the median is then usually defined to be the mean of the two middle values. [from 19th c.]

medianero

A mediator between a buyer and seller.

medianía

(uncountable) The condition of being mediocre; having only an average degree of quality, skills etc.; no better than standard.

medianil

(typography) A space between printed columns of text.

mediano

Of intermediate size, degree, amount etc.

medianoche

The middle of the night: the sixth temporal hour, equidistant between sunset and sunrise.

mediante el cual

By which.

mediar

To use a buffer or buffers; to isolate or minimize the effects of one thing on another.

mediar palabra

(transitive, archaic) To address; to accost; to speak to.

medias de rejilla

(countable, usually, in the plural) Stockings made of fishnet fabric.

medibilidad

Susceptibility to measurement.

medible

Able to be measured.

médica

A practitioner of physic, i.e. a specialist in internal medicine, especially as opposed to a surgeon; a practitioner who treats with medication rather than with surgery.

medicación

A medicine, or all the medicines regularly taken by a patient.

médicamente

In a medical manner or context.

medicamento

A medicine, or all the medicines regularly taken by a patient.

medicamentos

(medicine) The medicine or treatment provided by such an order.

medicamentoso

Tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain.

medicar

(transitive) To prescribe or administer medication to.

medicastro

(dated, now, chiefly, literary) A quack doctor; someone who pretends to have medical knowledge.

medicina

(uncountable, countable) A substance which specifically promotes healing when ingested or consumed in some way; a pharmaceutical drug.

medicinal

Tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain.

medicinar

(transitive) To prescribe or administer medication to.

medicinas

(medicine) The medicine or treatment provided by such an order.

medición

The act or result of measuring.

mediciones

The act of measuring.

médico

Of or pertaining to the practice of medicine.

medida

A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard

medidas

A plan; a set of intended actions, through which one intends to achieve a goal.

medidas enérgicas

Abruptly stern measures or disciplinary action; increased enforcement.

medidas represivas

Abruptly stern measures or disciplinary action; increased enforcement.

medidas severas

Abruptly stern measures or disciplinary action; increased enforcement.

medido

Gradual rather than steep or sudden.

medidor

Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things

medieval

A medieval example (of something aforementioned or understood from context).

Medina

A city, the county seat of Medina County, Ohio, named for the city in Saudi Arabia.

medio

(not comparable) Constituting or relating to the average.

medio ambiente

The natural world or ecosystem.

medio de pago

A means of payment such as a check or cheque, cash or credit card.

medio de transporte

Any of the different kinds of transport facilities used to carry people or cargo.

medio galope

A gait of a horse between a trot and a gallop, consisting of three beats and a "suspension" phase, where there are no feet on the ground. Also describing this gait on other four-legged animals.

medio oeste

The area of the contiguous United States contained in the central third of the country, especially the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, sometimes inclusive of Missouri and Kentucky.

medioambiental

Pertaining to the environment.

medioambiente

The natural world or ecosystem.

mediocre

Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category.

mediocridad

(uncountable) The condition of being mediocre; having only an average degree of quality, skills etc.; no better than standard.

mediodía

(now, rare) The corresponding time in the middle of the night; midnight.

medios

(uncountable) Financial resources; wealth. [circa 1600]

medios de comunicación

(usually, with a definite article; often treated as, _, uncountable) The journalists and other professionals who comprise the mass communication industry.

medios de subsistencia

A means of providing the necessities of life for oneself (for example, a job or income). [from 14th c.]

medios sociales

(uncountable) Applications or websites allowing users to share content and communicate with one another through the Internet.

medir

(transitive) To measure or determine with a gauge; to measure the capacity of.

medir la velocidad de

(British, slang) To falsify the reading of the odometer of a vehicle.

meditabundo

(archaic, literary) Deep in thought; meditative, thoughtful.

meditación

A devotional exercise of, or leading to, contemplation.

meditar

(transitive) To think on; to meditate on.

meditativo

Deeply or seriously thoughtful.

mediterráneo

Of or pertaining to the Mediterranean Sea and its surrounding region.

medrante

That thrives; successful; flourishing or prospering.

medrar

(figurative) Followed by on: to prosper or thrive, especially at the expense of others.

medrosía

A feeling of fear and reverence.

médula

(anatomy) The fatty vascular tissue that fills the cavities of bones, being the place where new blood cells are produced.

Medusa

(Greek mythology) The youngest and only mortal of the three gorgon sisters, killed by Perseus.

Mefistófeles

The Devil to whom Faust sold his soul in the legend.

mega-

(slang, augmentative) Super; really; mega-.

megabit

(computing) One million (106, or 1,000,000) bits or 1,000 kilobits. Equals 125,000 bytes (125 kilobytes).

megabyte

(computing, formal) One million (106, or 1,000,000) bytes or 1,000 kilobytes.

megáfono

A portable, usually hand-held, funnel-shaped device that is used to amplify a person’s natural voice toward a targeted direction.

megalómana

One affected with or exhibiting megalomania.

megalómano

One affected with or exhibiting megalomania.

megalópolis

A large conurbation, where two or more large cities have sprawled outward to meet, forming something larger than a normal metropolis.

mégano

(geomorphology) A ridge or hill of sand piled up by currents of wind or water.

megatienda

An extremely large store; a hypermarket.

meiosis

(usually, uncountable, cytology) Cell division of a diploid cell into four haploid cells, which develop to produce gametes.

meitad

One of two usually roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided, or considered as divided.

mejana

A small island.

mejicana

A person from the country of Mexico or of Mexican descent.

mejicano

Of, from, or pertaining to the country of Mexico.

mejilla

(anatomy) The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.

mejillón

A species of mussel Mytilus chilensis and its edible flesh, native to southern South America and the Kerguelen Islands.

mejor

Most superior; most favorable.

mejor amiga

An especially close and trusted friend.

mejor amigo

An especially close and trusted friend.

mejora

The act of making better.

mejorado

In a version or form that has been improved or made better than some other standard form.

mejoramiento

The act of making better.

mejorar

(transitive) To make better, or improve, something perceived to be in a negative condition.

mejores

comparative of the adverb well

mejoría

The act of making better.

mejunje

A mixture prepared in such a way.

melado

(uncountable) A sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves and other plant parts by insects (especially aphids and scale insects) feeding on plant sap, or by fungi.

melancolía

A spell of brooding; the time when someone broods.

melancólico

(informal) Depressed, melancholic, sad.

Melania

A en given name.

melanina

(biochemistry) Any of a group of naturally occurring dark pigments, especially the pigment found in skin, hair, fur, and feathers.

melanoma

(oncology, disease) A dark-pigmented, usually malignant tumor arising from a melanocyte and occurring most commonly in the skin.

melaza

A thick, sweet syrup drained from sugarcane, especially (North America) the still thicker and sweeter syrup produced by boiling down raw molasses.

Melbourne

The capital city of Victoria, Australia and former capital of Australia (1901–1927).

melena

Longer hair growth on back of neck of an animal, especially a horse or lion.

melenudo

Bearing one's own hair as grown and yet attached; neither bald nor hairless.

melífero

Involving or resembling honey.

melifluo

Involving or resembling honey.

melindroso

Pretending shyness or modesty, especially in an insincere or flirtatious way.

mella

A damaged area of a surface where a small piece has been broken off.

mellado

Unevenly cut; having the texture of something so cut.

mellar

(transitive) To make a breach in.

melliza

Either of two people (or, less commonly, animals) who shared the same uterus at the same time; one who was born at the same birth as a sibling.

mellizo

Either of two people (or, less commonly, animals) who shared the same uterus at the same time; one who was born at the same birth as a sibling.

melodía

A sequence of notes that makes up a musical phrase.

melódico

Of, relating to, or having melody.

melodioso

Having a pleasant melody or sound; tuneful.

melodrama

(countable) A drama abounding in romantic sentiment and agonizing situations, with a musical accompaniment only in parts which are especially thrilling or pathetic.

melolonta

Any of the large European beetles from the genus Melolontha that are destructive to vegetation.

melón

(colloquial, or, childish) A breast.

melón de agua

A plant of the species Citrullus lanatus, bearing a melon-like fruit.

melonera

Having large breasts.

melosidad

The condition of being sweet (all senses).

meloso

Involving or resembling honey.

membrana

A fold of tissue connecting the toes of certain birds, or of other animals.

membresía

(math) The fact of being a member of a set.

membrete

A comment added to a text.

membrillero

(countable) The deciduous tree bearing such fruit, native to Asia.

membrillo

(countable) The deciduous tree bearing such fruit, native to Asia.

meme

(originally) Any unit of (originally cultural) information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another in a comparable way to the transmission of genes.

memo

A short note; a memorandum.

memorable

Of or pertaining to high levels of activity; having many memorable events.

memorando

A notebook used to organize and maintain such plans or lists, an agenda book, an agenda planner.

memorándum

A notebook used to organize and maintain such plans or lists, an agenda book, an agenda planner.

memorar

To recall from one's memory; to have an image in one's memory.

memoria

A biography; a book describing the experiences of a subject from personal knowledge of the subject or from sources with personal knowledge of the subject.

memoria caché

(computing) A fast temporary storage where recently or frequently used information is stored to avoid having to reload it from a slower storage medium.

memoria intermedia

(telecommunications) A routine or storage medium used to compensate for a difference in rate of flow of data, or time of occurrence of events, when transferring data from one device to another.

memoria RAM

(electronics, computing) Acronym of random-access memory.

memorializar

(transitive, social media) To convert (someone’s profile) into a memorial site/page (e.g. on Facebook).

memorismo

Mechanical routine; a fixed, habitual, repetitive, or mechanical course of procedure.

memorización

The act of committing something to memory or memorizing.

memorizar

To learn by heart, to memorize.

mena

Rock or other material that contains valuable or utilitarian materials; primarily a rock containing metals or gems for which it is typically mined and processed.

menarquia

The onset of menstruation; a girl's first period.