Spain

[speyn]

noun

a kingdom in SW Europe. Including the Balearic and Canary islands, 194,988 sq. mi. (505,019 sq. km). Capital: Madrid.

Spanish España.

Related formsan·ti-Spain, adjectivepro-Spain, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spain

Contemporary Examples of spain

Meanwhile, the Netherlands and Spain opted for the "unedited" version.
Sony Emails Show How the Studio Plans to Censor Kim Jong Un Assassination Comedy ‘The Interview’
William Boot
December 15, 2014
But there were two designations that seemed anachronisms to me: -- Spain and the United Kingdom among the beer swillers.
Beer Countries vs. Wine Countries
Clive Irving
December 7, 2014
Beer-swilling Britain and Spain now boast impressive varietals while America is challenging France with how much wine is consumed.
Beer Countries vs. Wine Countries
Clive Irving
December 7, 2014
The locale was not Perugia, but Seville, in Spain, a country I have lived in and love.
Amanda Knox: A Mother’s Obsession
Nina Darnton
November 26, 2014
The wine-producing countries of Spain, Italy, and France, suggest limits that are double and triple that of the U.S.
Americans Drink Too Much, But We’re Not All Alcoholics
Gabrielle Glaser
November 25, 2014

Historical Examples of spain

But in Spain, the dollar goes as far as the pound in England.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
And now, Tiphaine, tell us what will come of this war in Spain.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
I had thought that you were in Spain with the valiant Henry of Trastamare.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
But if he trended to the south he might reach Spain and the Barbary States.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
To a gentle loose, and the King of Spain for a mark at fourteen score!
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle

British Dictionary definitions for spain

Spain

noun

a kingdom of SW Europe, occupying the Iberian peninsula between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: a leading European power in the 16th century, with many overseas possessions, esp in the New World; became a republic in 1931; under the fascist dictatorship of Franco following the Civil War (1936–39) until his death in 1975; a member of the European Union. It consists chiefly of a central plateau (the Meseta), with the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains in the north and the Sierra Nevada in the south. Official language: Castilian Spanish, with Catalan, Galician, and Basque official regional languages. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Madrid. Pop: 47 370 542 (2013 est). Area: 504 748 sq km (194 883 sq miles)Spanish name: España

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for spain

Spain

c.1200, from Anglo-French Espayne, from Late Latin Spania, from Latin Hispania (see Spaniard). The usual Old English form was Ispania.

spain in Culture

Spain

Constitutional monarchy in southwestern Europe, consisting of the Spanish mainland (bordered to the northwest by France and to the west by Portugal), the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Madrid.

Note

During the sixteenth century, Spain was the greatest world power. Its success was based partially on the riches it acquired in the New World (see Latin America and South America).

Note

The destruction of the Spanish Armada, a fleet sent to conquer England in 1588, marked the beginning of the decline of Spanish power.

Note

In the Spanish-American War, the United States defeated Spain, freed Cuba from Spanish colonial rule, and seized a number of former Spanish colonies, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.