Spanish–English dictionary

bacteriología

(biology, microbiology) The scientific study of bacteria, especially in relation to disease and agriculture.

báculo

(zoology) A bone found in the penis of some placental mammals.

badajo

An object so suspended inside a bell that it may hit the bell and cause it to ring; a clanger or tongue.

badana

(uncountable) The skin of a sheep, especially an adult sheep, and especially when used to make parchment or in bookbinding.

badén

A lower section of a road or geological feature.

badlands

(geomorphology) An arid terrain characterized by severe erosion of sedimentary rocks.

bádminton

(uncountable) A racquet sport played indoors on a court by two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs of players (doubles), in which a shuttlecock is volleyed over a net and the competitions are presided by an umpire in British English and a referee in American English.

BAE

(military, nautical, initialism) The ship prefix for ships of the navy of Ecuador.

bafle

Loudspeaker.

bafle de bajos

A loudspeaker that produces low-frequency sound.

bagatela

A trifle; an insubstantial thing.

bagazo

The residue from processing sugar cane after the juice is extracted.

Bagdad

The capital city of Iraq.

bagel

A toroidal bread roll that is boiled before it is baked.

bagre

Squalius cephalus

baguel

A toroidal bread roll that is boiled before it is baked.

baguete

A variety of bread that is long and narrow in shape.

baguette

A variety of bread that is long and narrow in shape.

baguio

(meteorology) A violent wind in the form of a mobile, rapidly rotating, funnel cloud that has contacted the ground.

bah

(sometimes, humorous) Expressing contempt, disgust, or bad temper.

Bahamas

An archipelago and country in the Caribbean. Official name: Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Bahía

A state of the Northeast Region, Brazil. Capital: Salvador.

bahorrina

(UK, Irish, pejorative, slang) The police.

Bahréin

An archipelago, island, and country in West Asia in the Persian Gulf. Official name: Kingdom of Bahrain. Capital: Manama.

baht

The official currency of Thailand, equal to 100 satang.

bailador

(dance) A person who dances, usually as a hobby, an occupation, or a profession.

bailadora

(dance) A person who dances, usually as a hobby, an occupation, or a profession.

bailadora exótica

Someone who removes their clothing in a sexually provocative manner, especially as a form of paid entertainment.

bailar

(intransitive) To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.

bailar vals

(intransitive, transitive) To dance the waltz (with).

Bailarín

The second reindeer of Santa Claus.

bailarina

A type of women's flat with a very low heel, thin sole, and round toe.

baile

A formal dance.

baipás

A section of pipe that conducts a fluid around some other fixture.

baipasear

To avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass.

baja

(military) A person in military service who becomes unavailable for duty, for any reason (notably death, injury, illness, capture, or desertion).

baja de voltaje

(electricity) A period of low alternating current line voltage, causing a reduction in illumination.

bajada

(geomorphology) The downward slope of a curve.

bajamiento

The act of something being lowered.

bajamiento cibernético

A file transfer to a given computer or device from a remote one through a network connection.

bajar

(intransitive) To physically move or pass from a higher to a lower place or position; to come or go down in any way, such as by climbing, falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to move downwards; to fall, to sink.

bajar (de peso)

(transitive) To shed (weight).

bajar cibernéticamente

(transitive, computing) To transfer data to a given computer from a remote one via a network.

bajar el síper

(transitive) To open something using a zipper.

bajarse

Often followed by from or off: to get off an animal which one has been riding; to dismount; to descend or exit from a vehicle; hence, to complete one's journey; to stop.

bajín

The act of offering or paying such a payment: an act of bribery.

bajío

(nautical, hydrology) An elevation under the sea; a shallow area of shifting sand, gravel, mud, and so forth

bajista

A musician who plays a bass instrument, especially the bass guitar.

bajo

Of sound, a voice or an instrument, low in pitch or frequency.

bajo (las órdenes de)

Subordinate to; subject to the control of; in accordance with; in compliance with.

bajo continuo

(music) The continuous realization of harmony throughout a musical piece, usually by a harpsichord and/or cello, typical of the Baroque period. Abbreviation: bc.

bajo continuum

(musical instruments) A touch-sensitive strip, similar to an electronic standard musical keyboard, except that the note steps are 1⁄100 of a semitone, and so are not separately marked.

bajo los pies

Under one's foot or feet.

bajofondo

A shallow portion of an otherwise deep body of water.

bajón

A musical instrument in the woodwind family, having a double reed and playing in the tenor and bass ranges.

bajones

(countable) Mental depression.

bajos

A background radio sound track played during a specific announcement or program.

bajuno

(by extension) Dishonest and sneaky; done in a secret or sly manner.

Bakú

The capital city of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

bala

(ballistics, firearms) A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, rifle, gun, etc.

bala de cañón

A spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon.

bala de salva

(firearms) Ellipsis of blank cartridge [since the 19th century].

bala fría

An item of food eaten between meals.

balaca

A hair accessory, made of a flexible material and curved like a horseshoe, for holding one's hair back.

balacera

(countable) an instance of shooting with a gun or other weapon

baladrar

(intransitive, also, figuratively) To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, sharp outcry, or shrill, loud cry, as in fright or extreme pain; to screech, to shriek.

baladro

A loud, emphatic, exclamation of extreme emotion, especially horror, fear, excitement, or anger; it may comprise a word or a sustained, high-pitched vowel sound.

baladrón

Someone who constantly brags or boasts. [from late 16th c.]

balanceado

Promoting strength; nourishing.

balancear

(transitive) To bring (items) to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights.

balancear(se)

(intransitive) To rotate about an off-centre fixed point.

balancearse

(archaic) To sway back and forth, as if about to fall; to reel, to stagger, to totter.

balanceo

(nautical, aviation) The oscillating movement of a nautical vessel as it rotates from side to side, about its fore-and-aft axis, causing its sides to go up and down, as distinguished from the alternate rise and fall of bow and stern called pitching; or the equivalent in an aircraft.

balancín

A chair with a curved base which can be gently rocked (swung) back and forth.

balandra

(nautical) A single-masted sailboat with only one headsail.

balandrán

An item of clerical clothing: a long, sheath-like, close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by clergy members of some Christian denominations. [from 17th c.]

balano

A marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that attaches itself to submerged surfaces such as tidal rocks or the bottoms of ships.

balanza

A device for measuring weight.

balar

To make the characteristic cry of a sheep.

balas

(slang) Bullets; ammunition.

balasto

Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads, or in making concrete; track ballast.

balastra

(countable, electricity, electronics) device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g. in a tube lamp supply circuit)

balastro

Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads, or in making concrete; track ballast.

balaustrada

A row of balusters topped by a rail, serving as an open parapet, as along the edge of a balcony, terrace, bridge, staircase, or the eaves of a building.

balboa

The currency of Panama, divided into 100 centésimos

balbucear

To speak softly and incoherently, or with imperfect articulations.

balbucencia

A quiet or unintelligible vocalization; a low tone of voice.

balbuceo

Inarticulate speech; constant or confused murmur.

balbucir

(transitive) To utter with a stammer, or with timid hesitancy.

Balcanes

A cultural region and peninsula in Southeast Europe, roughly equivalent to the area covered by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, sometimes including Romania, Slovenia, and European Turkey. [19th c.]

balcánico

Of or relating to the Balkan Peninsula.

balcón

(architectural element) An accessible structure extending from a building, especially outside a window.

balda

A flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to a wall or forming a part of a cabinet, desk, etc., and used to display, store, or support objects.

baldaquín

A high cover providing shelter, such as a cloth supported above an object, particularly over a bed.

baldaquino

(countable) A canopy suspended over an altar or throne, originally made of this fabric; a ciborium.

baldaquino forestal

The zone of the highest foliage and branches of a forest.

balde

A bucket or scoop used for removing water from a boat etc.

baldío

Real estate or landed property; a partitioned and measurable area which is owned and acquired and on which buildings and structures can be built and erected.

baldón

An open or intentional offense, slight, or insult.

baldosa

A paving stone; a flagstone.

baldosín

A regularly-shaped slab of clay or other material, affixed to cover or decorate a surface, as in a roof-tile, glazed tile, stove tile, carpet tile, etc.

baldragas

(by extension, pejorative) An easily frightened, ineffectual, or weak person.

Balduino

(countable) A en given name; rather rare in English.

baleadura

(countable) an instance of shooting with a gun or other weapon

baleo

A decisive battle, especially a gunfight.

balero

(mechanical engineering) A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction.

balero de rodamiento

(mechanical engineering) A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction.

Bali

A province of Indonesia, primarily made up of the island of Bali.

balido

(onomatopoeia) The characteristic cry or bleating of a sheep.

balín

A ball used in boules.

balista

(weaponry, historical) An ancient military engine, in the form of a crossbow, used for hurling large missiles.

balística

(physics) The science of objects that predominantly fly under the effects of gravity, momentum and atmospheric drag, and dealing with details of their behaviour at the origin and destination of their flight, as of bullets or missiles or rockets.

balístico

(not comparable) Of or relating to ballistics.

balita

(countable, games) A small ball used in games, originally of marble but now usually of glass or ceramic. [from 17th c.]

baliza

A signal fire to notify of the approach of an enemy, or to give any notice, commonly of warning.

ballena

Any one of numerous large marine mammals comprising an informal group within infraorder Cetacea that usually excludes dolphins and porpoises.

ballenata

The young of various animals, especially elephant, giraffe, reindeer, seal, or whale (also indiscriminately used of other animals).

ballenato

The young of various animals, especially elephant, giraffe, reindeer, seal, or whale (also indiscriminately used of other animals).

ballesta

A mechanised weapon, based on the bow and arrow, that shoots bolts.

ballestera

A slit, as in a castle wall, through which arrows can be fired.

ballet

(dances) A classical form of dance.

balneario

A coastal location specialising in catering for holidays (vacations).

balompedista

(American football, US, uncommon, dated) One who plays American football.

balompié

(countable) The ball used in any game called "football".

balón

(printing, historical) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; formerly used by printers for inking the form, then superseded by the roller.

balón prisionero

A team sport whose main objective is to dodge or catch balls thrown by the opposition.

balón voleibolista

(uncountable) A game played on a rectangular court between two teams of two to six players which involves striking a ball back and forth over a net.

balón-pie

(originated, , late 19th C, now, commonly, US, Australia) Association football.

baloncesto

(countable) The particular kind of ball used in the sport of basketball.

balonmano

(uncountable) A team sport where two teams of seven players each (six players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team.

balonvolea

(countable) The inflated ball used in such a game.

balota

(originally) A small ball placed in a container to cast a vote; now, by extension, a piece of paper or card used for this purpose, or some other means used to signify a vote.

balotaje

(politics) A second or further round of an indecisive election, after other candidates (often all but the last two) have been eliminated.

balotario

A list of matters to be taken up (as at a meeting).

balsa

Any small body of standing or stagnant water; a puddle.

balsa de caucho

(nautical) A small open boat, propelled by oars or paddles, carried as a tender, lifeboat, or pleasure craft on a ship.

bálsamo

(cosmetics) A type of shampoo product that aims to improve the condition of the hair, especially after washing.

balsero

A sailor on a small vessel (boat), particularly its captain.

Báltico

A geographic region of Northern Europe, consisting of the three countries to the east of the Baltic Sea, i.e. Latvia, Lithuanian and Estonia; in full, the Baltics or the Baltic states.

baluarte

A defensive mound of earth or a wall with a broad top and usually a stone parapet; a wall-like ridge of earth, stones or debris; an embankment for defensive purpose.

bamba

Counterfeit or fake; not genuine.

bambalina

A decorated cloth hung at the back of a stage.

bambolear

(transitive) To move or wield with the hand; to swing; to wield.

bambolearse

(intransitive) To move with an uneven or rocking motion, or unsteadily to and fro.

bamboleo

An unsteady motion.

bamia

The edible immature mucilaginous seed pod (properly, capsule) of the Abelmoschus esculentus.

bañadera

A large container for holding water in which a person may bathe (take a bath).

bañador

A pair of specifically designed shorts worn by men and boys for swimming or bathing.

banal

Of little weight or importance; not worth notice; slight; trivial.

banalidad

A banality or cliché.