Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- A country of southwest Europe comprising most of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic and Canary Islands. Inhabited since the Stone Age, the region was colonized by Phoenicians and Greeks and later ruled by Carthage and Rome (after 201 B.C.). Barbarians first invaded Spain in A.D. 409 but were supplanted by Moors from North Africa (711-719), who organized a kingdom known for its learning and splendor. The Moors were gradually displaced by small Christian states and were ousted from their last stronghold, Granada, in 1492. Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile then became rulers of a united Spain, which became a world power through exploration and conquest. After the empire was lost in the 18th and 19th centuries, Spain experienced social and economic unrest that culminated in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and the rise of Francisco Franco. After Franco's death in 1975 the monarchy was restored under King Juan Carlos, who oversaw the creation of a parliamentary democracy. Madrid is the capital and the largest city. Population: 40,400,000.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Same as spane.
Wiktionary
- n. A country in Europe, including most of the Iberian peninsula. Official name: Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España).
WordNet 3.0
- n. a parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula; a former colonial power
Etymologies
- From Anglo-Norman Espayne, from Late Latin Spania, from earlier Latin Hispānia, from Ancient Greek Ἱσπανία (Hispania), from Phoenician (ay-shaphanim, literally "hyrax isle"), as the native wild rabbits were mistaken for hyraces. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“JOSE MARIE AZNAR, PRIME MINISTER, SPAIN: Well, these people are -- eight detained in Spain at present.”
“SPAIN AND ITALY. (_a_) Why are Spain, Italy, and Turkey sometimes called "the three decadent nations of Europe"?”
Up To Date Business Home Study Circle Library Series (Volume II.)
“The CHURCH OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL traces its foundation to St. Paul, who speaks of his intended visit to Spain, Rom.xv. 24; and there is also a tradition that St. James the Great preached the Gospel here.”
“I never had the slightest interest in the gipsies, but I always had a corner in my heart for Spain and Wales, and consequently _The Bible in Spain_ and _Wild Wales_ have always been favourite books.”
“And all for Spain; for _Spain_! ingrateful _Spain_!”
“Actually, to be fair, New Orleans had been BOUGHT from spain/New Spain by france, several years before the lousiana purchase.”
“Copyright Bloomberg 2010 Global financial crisis European bank banks sovereign debt euro dollar north korea spain Spanish gold Spain italy Portugal Greece greek Ireland Leahman brothers imf loan eurozone eu union”
WN.com - Articles related to European Union's future hangs in the balance
“GRANADA (SPAIN): US First Lady Michelle Obama and her nine-year-old daughter Sasha visited Granada, the former seat of Moorish rule in Spain, during the second day of her holiday in the country.”
“MELGAR DE YUSO, SPAIN - The team that produced the first cloned fighting bull in Spain call their dark brown calf the only living representative of a ferocious lineage that goes back 300 years.”
International Herald Tribune - World News, Analysis, and Global Opinions
“SPAIN: Eleven airports in northern Spain, including Barcelona, closed until at least 1400 GMT Sunday.”
Earth News, Earth Science, Energy Technology, Environment News
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘Spain’.
-
EU Buzz - Lisbon Treaty
All words of the Lisbon Treaty
(Persons' names, foreign and grammatical words have been eliminated, MWEs have been split up into individual words. Capitalization has been retained if r...health, follow, condition, meeting, minister, beginning, chapter, information, language, remain, covered, respect and 2614 more...
-
TN9 Lesson 108
achievement, Australia, bartender, comfort, confuse, design, dishonest, frustrating, grateful, ignorance, internet, invention and 19 more...
-
Countries of the Day
United States of ..., India, Saint Kitts and N..., Qatar, Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Herzeg..., Australia, Mexico, Uruguay, Mozambique, United Kingdom, Serbia and 48 more...
-
Wilton's words
Favourite words, usages and passages from Nashe's "The Unfortunate Traveller: or, the Life of Iacke Wilton" (1594)
doit, dandiprat, weep one's urine ..., snudge, scuppet, langret, fullam, hedgecreeper, pickthanke, go shop the gander, together by the ears, quagmire and 42 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for Spain.
yarb From Spaine what bringeth our Traueller? a scull cround hat of the fashion of an olde deepe poringer, a diminutiue Aldermans ruffe with shorte strings like the droppings of a mans nose, a close-bellied dublet comming downe with a peake behinde as farre as the crupper, and cut off before by the breast-boane like a partlet or neckercher, a wyde payre of gascoynes which vngatherd would make a couple of womens ryding kyrtles, huge hangers that haue halfe a Cowe hyde in them, a Rapyer that is lineally descended from halfe a dozen Dukes at the least.
- Thomas Nashe, The Unfortunate Traveller, 1594 Apr 14, 2010