Spanish

Spanish river, c.150 mi (240 km) long, issuing from Spanish Lake, S Ont., Canada, NW of Sudbury, and flowing generally S through Biskotasi and Agnew lakes to Lake Huron opposite Manitoulin island. There are several hydroelectric stations on the river.

Spanish of, pertaining to, or associated with Spain.
Spanish flu influenza caused by an influenza virus of type A, in particular that of the pandemic which began in 1918.
Spanish Inquisition an ecclesiastical court established in 1478 and directed originally against converts from Judaism and Islam but later also against Protestants. It operated with great severity, especially under its first inquisitor, Torquemada, and was not suppressed until the early 19th century. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition is a catchphrase from a Monty Python script, in which the Inquisitors consistently fail to make a successful announcement of their arrival and identity.
Spanish Main the former name for the NW coast of South America between the Orinoco River and Panama, and adjoining parts of the Caribbean Sea.
Spanish practice another term for old Spanish custom.
War of the Spanish Succession a European war (1701–14), provoked by the death of the Spanish king Charles II without issue. The Grand Alliance of Britain, the Netherlands, and the Holy Roman emperor threw back a French invasion of the Low Countries, and, although the Peace of Utrecht confirmed the accession of a Bourbon king in Spain, prevented Spain and France from being united under one crown.

Span·ish / ˈspanish/ • adj. of or relating to Spain, its people, or its language. • n. 1. [as pl. n.] (the Spanish) the people of Spain. 2. the Romance language of most of Spain and of much of Central and South America and several other countries. DERIVATIVES: Span·ish·ness n.