Spanish–English dictionary

chanchi

(informal) Very good; excellent; wonderful; fantastic. [from 1848]

chanchito de tierra

Any of the terrestrial isopod crustaceans of suborder Oniscidea, which have a rigid, segmented exoskeleton, often being capable of rolling into a ball, and feed only on dead plant matter, usually living in damp, dark places, such as under stones or bark.

chancho

(countable) Any of several mammalian species of the family Suidae, having cloven hooves, bristles and a snout adapted for digging; especially the domesticated animal Sus domesticus.

chanchullo

An illegal scheme for profit; a fraud or swindle; or both coinstantiated.

chanchullos

Activity that is morally questionable or even mildly illegal.

chancla

(New Zealand) A flip-flop (type of footwear)

chancleta

(footwear) A type of open shoe made up of straps or bands holding a sole to the foot

chanclo

(British) A waterproof overshoe used to provide protection from rain or snow.

chancomer

(ambitransitive) To bite something persistently, especially something tough.

chancón

(slang, sometimes, _, derogatory) A person who is intellectual but generally introverted.

chándal

A loose shirt, usually made of a knit fleece, for athletic wear and now often used as casual apparel.

chanfa

(figurative) Any activity that is easy, not testing or difficult.

chanfle

An obtuse-angled relief or cut at an edge added for a finished appearance and to break sharp edges.

chanflear

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

changa

Temporary employment.

changador

A person who carries luggage and related objects.

changarín

A person who carries luggage and related objects.

changarro

(countable) A small open-fronted shop, for example in a market, food court, etc.

chango

Any of several passerine birds of the genera Quiscalus, Hypopyrrhus, Lampropsar and Macroagelaius, of the Americas, having iridescent plumage.

changoneta

A practical joke or mischievous trick.

changos

(sometimes, vulgar) Used to express anger, irritation, disappointment, annoyance, contempt or surprise, etc. See also dammit.

chansear

To try or risk.

chanta

(by extension) Deceitful, unprincipled.

chantaje

The extortion of money or favors by threats of public accusation, critique, or exposure.

chantajear

(Kenya) To speak ill of someone; to defame someone.

chantajista

Someone who blackmails.

chantapufi

(by extension) Deceitful, unprincipled.

chanza

(countable) An opportunity or possibility.

chanza telefónica

A practical joke played by calling the unsuspecting victim on the telephone, usually pretending to be somebody else.

chao

(colloquial) Goodbye.

chapa

Any of several designs of closure used to seal bottles.

chapa de madera

A thin decorative covering of fine material (usually wood) applied to coarser wood or other material.

chapadas

(slang) A person's name.

chapado a la antigua

Of an object, outdated or no longer in vogue.

chapadur

A wood-based material resembling heavy paper, used in the manufacture of boxes, cartons and signs.

chapalear

(intransitive, of a liquid) To shift chaotically; to splash noisily.

chapaletear

(intransitive, of a liquid) To shift chaotically; to splash noisily.

chapapote

A sticky, black to brown and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid, composed almost entirely of bitumen with small mineral particles, that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits.

chapar

(transitive) To seize or intercept an object moving through the air (or, sometimes, some other medium). [from 16thc.]

chaparral

(US) A region of shrubs, typically dry in the summer and rainy in the winter. The coast of the Mediterranean is such a region.

chaparrete

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

chaparro

An oak, Quercus coccifera, native to the western Mediterranean region and growing 1-6 meters tall.

chaparrón

A heavy rain.

chape

A weave of three or more strands of fibers, ribbons, cords or hair often for decoration. [from 16th c.]

chapeado

A thin decorative covering of fine material (usually wood) applied to coarser wood or other material.

chapeadora

A device used for cutting grass to a chosen height, typically of landscaped lawns of residences or institutions.

chapear

(transitive, woodworking) To apply veneer to.

chapearse

(intransitive) To increase in wealth or success; to prosper, be profitable.

chapero

A male prostitute who sells his services to men.

chaperón

An older person who accompanies other younger people to ensure the propriety of their behaviour, often an older woman accompanying a young woman.

chapeta

A suffusion of the face with blood, as from fear, shame, modesty, or intensity of feeling of any kind; a blush; a glow.

chapi

(informal) Unremarkable or uninteresting; boring; uncool.

chapiadora

(figuratively, pejorative) A person who cultivates a personal relationship in order to attain wealth.

chapín

Of, from, or pertaining to Guatemala or the Guatemalan people.

chapitel

(architectural element) A tapering structure built on a roof or tower, especially as one of the central architectural features of a church or cathedral roof. [from 16th c.]

chapolín

(games, British) A two-player cue sport played with two cue balls and one red ball, on a snooker sized table.

chapón

(slang, British) One who swots; a boffin, nerd, or smart aleck.

chapona

(slang, British) One who swots; a boffin, nerd, or smart aleck.

chapopote

A sticky, black to brown and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid, composed almost entirely of bitumen with small mineral particles, that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits.

chapopote bituminoso

Coal tar.

chapopote hullero

Coal tar.

chapotear

(transitive) To cause splashing by moving a body part like a bill or limb in soft mud, water, etc., often playfully; to play in shallow water; to paddle.

chapoteo

An act of splashing in soft mud, water, etc.

chapucería

An action, job, or task that has been performed very badly; a ruined, defective, or clumsy piece of work.

chapucero

(pejorative) Suggesting or reflecting the efforts of an amateur; not seeming professional or polished.

chapulín

In the strict sense, refers to insects in the suborder Caelifera, particularly those in the family Acrididae.

chapurrar

(transitive) To mess up hopelessly; to botch; to distort beyond recognition.

chapurrear

(transitive) To mess up hopelessly; to botch; to distort beyond recognition.

chapurreo

Nonsense, foolish talk.

chapuz

The act or instance of dunking, particularly in basketball.

chapuza

An action, job, or task that has been performed very badly; a ruined, defective, or clumsy piece of work.

chapuzar

(transitive) To submerge briefly in a liquid.

chapuzón

The act or instance of dunking, particularly in basketball.

chaqueta

(vulgar, slang) The stimulation of another person's penis using the hand as a sexual act.

chaqueta de punto

A type of sweater or jumper that fastens up the front with buttons or a zipper, usually machine- or hand-knitted from wool.

chaquetear

To act as a turncoat; to betray

chaquetero

A traitor; one who turns against a previous affiliation or allegiance.

chaqui

Negative effects, such as headache or nausea, caused by previous drunkenness due to (excessive) consumption of alcohol.

chaquira

(uncountable) Small cylindrical beads made from polished shells (especially white ones) which have been strung together, formerly used by Native American peoples of eastern North America for various purposes including as jewellery and money, and for record-keeping; (countable, archaic) one such bead.

charada

(uncommon) A single round of the game charades, an acted form of the earlier riddles.

charadas

game

charca

An inland body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is smaller than a lake.

charchina

(US, dated) An old, dilapidated or unpretentious automobile.

charco

(informal) Chiefly in across the pond: the Atlantic Ocean.

charcutería

(countable) A shop or part of a shop specialising in cured meat.

chardonay

(uncountable) A variety of wine made from this grape.

charla

Idle talk; senseless prattle

charla convincente

An effort to sell or promote something.

charla que se va por tangentes

A rambling; an instance of someone talking at length without direction.

charlador

(informal) Of a person, chatting a lot or fond of chatting.

charlar

(intransitive) To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle.

charlatán

An American migratory songbird (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), resembling a blackbird with the bill of a finch.

charlatanear

(intransitive) To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle.

charlatanería

(uncountable) The state of being a charlatan.

charlotear

(intransitive) To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle.

charnela

A jointed or flexible device that allows the pivoting of a door etc.

charol

(countable, chess) The person playing with the black set of pieces.

charola

A small, typically rectangular or round, flat, and rigid object upon which things are carried.

charpe

A very portable, short firearm, for hand use, which fires bullets or projectiles, such as a handgun, revolver, pistol, or Derringer.

charque

Lean meat cured and preserved by cutting into thin strips and air-drying in the sun.

charqui

Lean meat cured and preserved by cutting into thin strips and air-drying in the sun.

charrán

Any of various seabirds of the subfamily Sterninae (of the family Laridae) that are similar to gulls but are smaller and have a forked tail.

charrasquear

(ambitransitive) To play (a guitar or other stringed instrument) by plucking various strings simultaneously.

charrete

(road transport, historical) A two-wheeled carriage drawn by a single horse.

charro

Overly ostentatious; so colorful as to be in bad taste. [from 1540s]

chascarrillo

An amusing story.

chasco

(countable) Something or someone that disappoints: that which causes disappointment.

chascón

(of a person) With the hair uncombed.

chascona

An implement for washing floors or similar, made of a piece of cloth, or a collection of thrums, or coarse yarn, fastened to a handle.

chasis

The base frame of a motor vehicle.

chasquear

(colloquial) To prove unreliable or impractical; to abandon or desert, to fail to follow through.

chasquido

(onomatopoeia) The sharp sound made when solid material breaks.

chasquido de dedos

The act of snapping the fingers; making a sound by pressing a finger against the thumb and suddenly releasing to strike the hand.

chasquilla

(chiefly, _, US, Philippines) Hair hanging over the forehead.

chat

(countable, uncountable) An exchange of text or voice messages in real time through a computer network, resembling a face-to-face conversation.

chata

A pan used for urination and defecation while in bed, now usually for reasons of medical necessity or convenience.

chatarra

(informal) A decrepit motor car.

chatarrear

(transitive) To dispose of at a scrapyard.

chatarrería

A business that sells used metal or items.

chatbot

(internet, AI) A computer program that holds conversations through a chat room.

chatear

To exchange text or voice messages in real time through a computer network such as a social media chat room or messaging application (as if having a face-to-face conversation instead of SMS or writing emails or letters).

chatni

A sweet or savory but usually spicy condiment, originally from eastern India, made from a variety of fruits and/or vegetables, often containing significant amounts of fresh green or dried red chili peppers. [from 1813]

chato

(of a carbonated drink) With all or most of its carbon dioxide having come out of solution so that the drink no longer fizzes or contains any bubbles.

chau

(colloquial) Goodbye.

chaval

A male child. [from 15th c.]

chavalo

(colloquial) An inexperienced person or one in a junior position.

chavarrí

Any bird in the taxonomic family Anhimidae, endemic to South America, being large, bulky birds with a small downy head, long legs and large feet.

chaveta

(slang) The head.

chavismo

A left-wing populist ideology based on the policies of Hugo Chávez, the former president of Venezuela (2002-2013), and the politics of the Bolivarian Revolution (Bolivarianism).

chavista

A follower of Hugo Chávez or Chavism.

chaya

Small pieces or strips (streamers) of colored paper or other material (metal, plaster, etc) generally thrown about at festive occasions, especially at weddings and in victory celebrations.

Che

(rare) : a diminutive of various female given names.

chebrón

(heraldiccharge) A wide inverted V placed on a shield.

checa

(countable) A person from the Czech Republic (Czechia) or of Czech descent.

checar

(transitive) To inspect; to examine.

Chechenia

A republic and federal subject of Russia, in the northern Caucasus. Official name: Chechen Republic. Capital: Grozny.

checheno

Of or relating to the Chechen people.

checo

Of, from, or pertaining to the Czech Republic (Czechia), the Czech people, culture, or language.

checoslovaca

A native or inhabitant of Czechoslovakia

checoslovaco

Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Czechoslovakia or its people.

Checoslovaquia

A former country in Central Europe, now the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

cheesecake

(countable, and, uncountable, obsolete) A pie made of cream, eggs and milk (somewhat resembling the modern American chess cake).

chef

The head cook of a restaurant or other establishment.

cheje

Any bird of species-rich family Picidae, with a strong pointed beak suitable for pecking holes in wood.

chejeado

sense 2

chejear

(transitive, intransitive) To apply a force to (an object) so that it comes toward the person or thing applying the force.

chejo

Near-sighted; unable to see distant objects unaided.

chela

(uncountable) An alcoholic drink fermented from starch material, commonly barley malt; often with hops or some other substance (like gruit) to impart a bitter flavor.

chele

(countable) A person with this hair color.

chelín

The old currency of Austria, divided into 100 groschen.