Spanish–English dictionary

acercamiento

(also, figuratively) An act of drawing near in place or time; an advancing or coming near.

acercar

(intransitive) To come or go near, in place or time; to move toward; to advance nearer; to draw nigh.

acercarse

(ambitransitive, figuratively) Used intransitively, followed by to: to draw near (to someone or something); to make advances; to approximate or become almost equal.

acere

(colloquial, used in the vocative) A term of address for someone, typically a man, particularly when cautioning them or offering advice.

acero

(countable, uncountable) An artificial metal produced from iron, harder and more elastic than elemental iron; used figuratively as a symbol of hardness.

acérrimo

(said of people and their conviction) Firm; unshakeable; unyielding; determined.

acerrojar

To close or lock as if with a latch.

acertadamente

In an accurate manner; exactly; precisely; without error or defect.

acertado

Telling the truth or giving a true result; exact; not defective or faulty

acertamiento

The state of being accurate; being free from error; exactness; correctness

acertar

(transitive) To find out definitely; to discover or establish.

acertijo

A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.

acervo

A protuberance; a hunch; a knob or lump; a hump.

acescente

Made rancid by fermentation, etc.

acetaminofén

(North America) A white crystalline compound used in medicine as an anodyne to relieve pain and reduce fever.

acetileno

A lamp powered by acetylene, particularly a motor vehicle headlight.

acetona

(organic compound) A colourless, volatile, flammable liquid ketone, (CH3)2CO, used as a solvent.

acezar

(ambitransitive) To desire strongly, so as to satisfy an appetite; to long or yearn for.

achacar

(transitive, obsolete) To cause; to bring about; to produce.

achacoso

Sickly; sick; ill; unwell.

achaflanar

(transitive) To cut off the edge or corner of something.

achaparrado

(of a person or an animal) Sturdy; solidly built; heavy and compact.

achaque

Something which ails one; a disease; sickness.

achará

Having a painful emotional impact; causing grief or distress.

achares

(countable, uncountable) A state of being jealous; a jealous attitude.

achatado

Made flat by something.

achatar

(transitive) To make something flat or flatter.

achatarrar

(transitive) To dispose of at a scrapyard.

achatarse

(intransitive) To become flat or flatter; to plateau.

achechar

(transitive) To ruin the character of, by overindulgence; to coddle or pamper to excess. [from 17th c.]

achicar

To set free; to deliver; to release.

achicarse

(idiomatic) To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

achicharradero

(colloquial, figurative) Any area that is excessively hot.

achicharrante

Very hot.

achicharrar

(transitive) To burn the surface of something so as to discolour it

achichiguar

(transitive, intransitive) To feed (a baby) milk via the breasts; to suckle; to nurse.

achín

A small ornament or other object of minor value.

achís

(onomatopoeia) The sound of a sneeze.

achispado

(UK, Irish, Commonwealth, informal) slightly drunk or intoxicated; tipsy

achocolatado

Made of or containing chocolate.

acholar

(transitive) to humiliate; to disrupt somebody's composure or comfort with acting publicly or freely; to abash.

acholo

An uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of one's own impropriety or dishonor, or something being exposed that should have been kept private.

achuchable

Suitable for cuddling; designed to be cuddled.

achuchar

(transitive) To cradle (e.g. a baby) in one's arms so as to give comfort, warmth.

achumpipado

(slang, mildly, derogatory) A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.

achuntar

(transitive, slang) To accomplish (a task) completely and successfully.

achusemado

(slang) Eccentric, strange, or foolish; crazy or insane; kookish.

aciago

Inappropriate or awkward; not well said, expressed, or done.

acial

(farriery) A stick with a hole in one end through which passes a loop, which can be drawn tightly over the upper lip or an ear of a horse and twisted to keep the animal quiet during minor surgery.

aciar

(farriery) A stick with a hole in one end through which passes a loop, which can be drawn tightly over the upper lip or an ear of a horse and twisted to keep the animal quiet during minor surgery.

acíbar

The quality of feeling bitter; acrimony, resentment; the quality of exhibiting such feelings.

acicaladura

Caring for horses or other animals by brushing and cleaning them.

acicalar

To attend to one's appearance and clothing.

acicate

A rigid implement, often roughly y-shaped, that is fixed to one's heel for the purpose of prodding a horse. Often worn by, and emblematic of, the cowboy or the knight.

acicatear

(transitive) To prod (especially a horse) on the side or flank, with the intent to urge motion or haste, to gig.

acícula

(entomology) Any of various species of damselfly of the genus Synlestes, endemic to Australia.

acidez

The sensation of a sour taste.

acidez estomacal

(pathology) A burning pain in the chest that is caused by stomach acid entering the gullet.

acidia

(now, literary) Sloth, slothfulness, especially as inducing general listlessness and apathy. [from 13th c.]

acidificar

To make something (more) acidic or sour; to convert into an acid.

acidificarse

(intransitive) To become sour.

ácido

Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar.

ácido salicílico

(carboxylic acid) A white crystalline organic acid, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, C6>H4(OH)(COOH), used in the production of aspirin and other industrial chemicals.

acidular

(transitive) To make sour.

acierto

The state of being accurate; being free from error; exactness; correctness

acimut

An arc of the horizon intercepted between the meridian of the place and a vertical circle passing through the center of any object.

aclamación

(poetic) An acclamation; a shout of applause.

aclamar

(transitive, rare) To salute or praise with great approval; to compliment; to applaud; to welcome enthusiastically.

aclaración

The act of clarifying; the act or process of making clear or transparent by freeing visible impurities; particularly, the clearing or fining of liquid substances from impurities via the separation of the insoluble particles which prevent the liquid from being transparent.

aclaramiento

(medicine) The removal of harmful substances from the blood; renal clearance.

aclarar

(transitive) To treat with bleach, especially so as to whiten (fabric, paper, etc.) or lighten (hair).

aclararse

(intransitive) To become free from obstruction or obscurement; to become transparent.

aclimatación

The act of acclimatizing; the process of inuring to a new climate, or the state of being so inured.

aclimatar

(transitive, chiefly, US) To habituate to a climate not native; to acclimatize.

aclimatarse

(transitive) To make used to a new climate or one that is different from that which is natural; to inure or habituate to other circumstances; to adapt to the peculiarities of a foreign or strange climate.

aclimatizar

(transitive) To make used to a new climate or one that is different from that which is natural; to inure or habituate to other circumstances; to adapt to the peculiarities of a foreign or strange climate.

aclimatizarse

(transitive) To make used to a new climate or one that is different from that which is natural; to inure or habituate to other circumstances; to adapt to the peculiarities of a foreign or strange climate.

aclocar

(transitive) To incubate eggs; to cause to hatch.

acmé

A high point: the highest point of any range, the most developed stage of any process, or the culmination of any field or historical period. [c. 1610]

acné

A pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition.

aco

One affected with.

acobardar

(transitive) To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject.

acobardarse

(idiomatic) To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

acogedor

Providing physical comfort and ease; agreeable. [from 18th c.]

acoger

(transitive) To cause to come to agreement; to bring about harmony; to reconcile.

acogida

The desk of a hotel or office where guests are received.

acojonante

Frightening or intimidating.

acolada

(historical) A salutation marking the conferring of knighthood, consisting of an embrace or a kiss, and a slight blow on the shoulders with the flat of a sword.

acolchado

(British, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada) A quilt or usually flat cloth bag with a filling (traditionally down) and usually an additional washable cover, used instead of blankets; often called a comforter or quilt, especially in US English.

acolchar

(transitive) To furnish with a pad or padding.

acolchonar

(transitive) To furnish with a pad or padding.

acólito

(Christianity) One who has received the highest of the four minor orders in the Catholic Church, being ordained to carry the wine, water and lights at Mass.

acollador

(nautical) A short rope used for fastening rigging, as a handle, etc.

acollarar

(transitive) To place a collar on, to fit with one.

acombar

To cause (something) to bend, or to become distorted.

acomedido

Furnishing help; giving aid; useful.

acomedirse

(ambitransitive) To do or offer to do something voluntarily.

acometer

(archaic) To attack; to make an effort or attack upon; to try to take by force.

acometida

An established communications or transportation link.

acometimiento

A violent onset or attack with physical means, for example blows, weapons, etc.

acomodación

(countable, medical) The adjustment of the eye to a change of the distance from an observed object.

acomodadizo

Affording, or disposed to afford, accommodation; obliging; helpful.

acomodado

(by extension) Abounding in goods or riches; having a moderate level of material wealth.

acomodador

A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.

acomodadora

A person, in a church, cinema etc., who escorts people to their seats.

acomodamiento

(countable, uncountable, followed by to) The act of fitting or adapting, or the state of being fitted or adapted; adaptation; adjustment.

acomodar

(transitive) To show the correspondence of; to apply or make suit by analogy; to adapt or fit, as teachings to accidental circumstances, statements to facts, etc.

acomodaticio

Affording, or disposed to afford, accommodation; obliging; helpful.

acompañamiento

The state of having or being a companion.

acompañante

(music) The performer in music who takes the accompanying part.

acompañar

(transitive, formal) To accompany a guest to the door when he or she leaves (also used figuratively).

acompasado

Characterized by rhythm.

acondicionador

Anything that improves the condition of something.

acondicionar

To subject to the process of acclimation.

acongojado

Feeling anguish; experiencing extreme discomfort or discontent.

aconsejable

(of a course of action) Worthy of being recommended; desirable.

aconsejar

(transitive) To give advice to; to offer an opinion to, as worthy or expedient to be followed.

acontecer

To happen; to occur.

acontecimiento

(countable) Something which has developed.

acopiar

Look within oneself to summon a particular positive quality, such as strength, energy or courage.

acopio

A supply (especially a large one) of something kept for future use, specifically in case the cost of the item increases or if there a shortage.

acoplado

Someone who hangs on, or sticks to, a person, place, or service.

acoplador

A device that couples two things together.

acopladura

(countable, uncountable) Connection or attachment.

acoplamiento

(electronics) A connection between two electronic circuits such that a signal can pass between them.

acoplar

(transitive) To couple.

acople

(amplification) The high-pitched howling noise heard when there is a loop between a microphone and a speaker.

acorar

(obsolete) To strike or cast down; to overthrow; to result.

acorazado

Clad or equipped with arms or armor.

acorazado unicalibre

(informal) Any type of warship heavier in armour or armament than a typical battleship.

acordanza

Agreement; harmony; conformity; compliance.

acordar

(transitive) To make to agree or correspond; to suit one thing to another; to adjust.

acordarse de

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

acorde

(music) A harmonic set of three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously.

acorde a

Based on what is said or stated by; on the authority of; by the order of.

acordemente

(manner) Agreeably; correspondingly; suitably

acordeón

A box-shaped musical instrument played by compressing or expanding its bellows while pressing its buttons or its keys, causing pallets to open, which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel (reeds).

acordonar

(transitive) To protect from intrusion by enclosing in a rope or other barrier.

acorralar

(transitive) To trap in a position of great difficulty or hopeless embarrassment.

acorrer

(transitive, obsolete) To flock to; to crowd.

acorrucarse

(US, intransitive, transitive) To lie together snugly (with someone), in an intimate physical embrace; to snuggle.

acortamiento

(countable, linguistics) A short form (of a longer word) created by removing syllables, often terminal ones.

acortar

(transitive, obsolete) To cut short the tail of (an animal).

acortarse

(transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.

acorzar

To bypass a prescribed route so as to gain competitive advantage or to circumvent traffic signals or other rules of the road.

acosador

One who harasses.

acosadora

A person who secretly follows someone, sometimes with unlawful intentions.

acosar

(transitive) To intimidate (someone) as a bully.

acoso

An act of intimidating a person to do something, especially such repeated coercion.

acostado

(archaic) In bed, or on the bed; confined to bed. [First attested from 1150 to 1350.]