espada

See also: Espada

Languages (15)

English

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Asturian • Cebuano • Chavacano • French • Galician • Ilocano • Kinaray-a • Ladino • Occitan • Old Galician-Portuguese • Old Spanish • Portuguese • Spanish • Tagalog

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Page categories

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish espada (“sword”). Doublet of epee, spade, spatha, and spathe.

Noun

espada (plural espadas)

1. (bullfighting) A matador.
   • 1891, The Living Age, volume 190, page 653:

     That first day taught me I could be an espada. The only doubt in my mind was in regard to the nature of the bulls.

Anagrams

• spadea

Asturian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin spatha (“a type of sword”), from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “broad blade”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /esˈpada/ [esˈpa.ð̞a]
• Rhymes: -ada
• Syllabification: es‧pa‧da

Noun

espada f (plural espades)

1. (countable) sword (a long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack)

Derived terms

• pexe espada

Related terms

• espalda

Cebuano

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔesˈpada/ [ʔes̪ˈpaː.d̪a]
• Hyphenation: es‧pa‧da

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish espada, from Latin spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē).

Noun

espada (Badlit spelling ᜁᜐ᜔ᜉᜇ)

1. a sword
2. (euphemistic) the penis

Etymology 2

After the appearance of its leaves.

Noun

espada (Badlit spelling ᜁᜐ᜔ᜉᜇ)

1. the African spear (Sansevieria cylindrica)

Etymology 3

Compare sili espada.

Noun

espada (Badlit spelling ᜁᜐ᜔ᜉᜇ)

1. a long, thin, bright green chili closely resembling the cayenne and Basque Fryer peppers

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish sword.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: es‧pa‧da

Noun

espada

1. sword

French

Noun

espada m or f by sense (plural espadas)

1. bullfighter

Galician

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)peh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *sph₂dʰh₁éh₂?

Proto-Hellenic *spátʰā

Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē)bor.

Latin spatha

Old Galician-Portuguese espada

Galician espada

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese espada, from Latin spatha (“a type of sword”), borrowed from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “any broad blade, of wood or metal”). Doublet of espata.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /esˈpada/ [es̺ˈpa.ð̞ɐ]
• Rhymes: -ada
• Hyphenation: es‧pa‧da

Noun

espada f (plural espadas)

1. (countable) sword (a long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack)

Derived terms

• peixe espada

Further reading

• “espada”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “espada”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Ilocano

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)peh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *sph₂dʰh₁éh₂?

Proto-Hellenic *spátʰā

Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē)bor.

Latin spatha

Old Spanish espada

Spanish espadabor.

Ilocano espada

Borrowed from Spanish espada.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔesˈpada/ [ʔesˈpa.da]
• Hyphenation: es‧pa‧da

Noun

espada (Kur-itan spelling ᜁᜐ᜔ᜉᜇ)

1. sword

   Synonym: kampilan

Kinaray-a

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)peh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *sph₂dʰh₁éh₂?

Proto-Hellenic *spátʰā

Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē)bor.

Latin spatha

Old Spanish espada

Spanish espadabor.

Kinaray-a espada

Borrowed from Spanish espada.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔesˈpada/, [ʔesˈpa.da]

Noun

espada

1. sword

Ladino

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish espada, from Latin spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē).

Noun

espada f (Hebrew spelling איספאדה)

1. (countable) sword (a long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack)

   Todos los ke toman espada, kon espada se deperderan.

   All who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.

Derived terms

• a tajo de espada

Occitan

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

Noun

espada f (plural espadas)

1. (countable) sword (a long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack)

   Synonym: espasa

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin spatham, accusative of spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “blade”).

Noun

espada f (plural espadas)

1. (countable) sword (a long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack)

Descendants

• Galician: espada
• Portuguese: espada

Old Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)peh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *sph₂dʰh₁éh₂?

Proto-Hellenic *spátʰā

Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē)bor.

Latin spatha

Old Spanish espada

Inherited from Latin spatham, accusative of spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “blade”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /es̺ˈpa.da/

Noun

espada f (plural espadas)

1. (countable) sword (a long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack)
   • between 1140 and 1207, Anonymous (or Per Abbat), Cantar de mío Cid 58:

     Myo çid Ruy diaz el que en buẽ ora çinxo eſpada

     My Cid, Ruy Díaz, who at a good time he girded himself with a sword (common epithet of the Cid)

   • ca. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario f. 64r.:

     De natura es fria & humida / Et fazen della mangos pora cuchiello & pora eſpadas

     It is cold and damp in nature, and they make handles for knives and swords out of it

   • ca. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario f. 103v.:

     la uertud dela figura de om̃e cauallero ſobre un leon, & que tenga en la mano dieſtra eſpada deſnuda, & en la ſinieſtra cabeça de om̃e

     the virtue of the figure of a knightly man riding a lion, with an unsheathed sword at his right hand and the head of a man at his left hand

Related terms

• espalda

Descendants

• Ladino: espada, איספאדה
• Spanish: espada

Portuguese

espada

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese espada, through prothesis from Latin spatha (“a type of sword”), from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “broad blade”), likely from Proto-Indo-European *sph₂-dʰ-.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /isˈpa.dɐ/, /esˈpa.dɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /isˈpa.dɐ/, /esˈpa.dɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /iʃˈpa.dɐ/, /eʃˈpa.dɐ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /(i)ʃˈpa.dɐ/ [(i)ʃˈpa.ðɐ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /(i)ʃˈpa.dɐ/ [(i)ʃˈpa.ðɐ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /(i)ʃˈpa.dɐ/

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -adɐ
• Hyphenation: es‧pa‧da

Noun

espada f (plural espadas)

1. (countable) sword (a long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack)
2. (fencing) épée
3. singular of espadas (“spades”) (one of the four suits of playing cards)

Derived terms

• entre a cruz e a espada
• peixe-espada

Related terms

• espadachim
• espadada
• espadarte
• espadas
• espadeirada
• espadeirão
• espadeirar
• espadeiro
• espadilha
• espadim

Descendants

• → Bengali: ইস্পাত (iśpat) (see there for further descendants)
• → Gujarati: ઇસપાત (isapāt)
• → Hindustani: (see there for further descendants)

  Hindi: इस्पात (ispāt)

  Urdu: اسپات (ispāt)

• → Japanese: スベタ
• → Maithili:

  Devanagari script: इसपात (isᵊpāt)

  Tirhuta script: 𑒃𑒮𑒣𑒰𑒞 (isapāta)

Further reading

• “espada”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “espada”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Una espada ― A sword

Una espada ― An epee

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)peh₂-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *sph₂dʰh₁éh₂?

Proto-Hellenic *spátʰā

Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē)bor.

Latin spatha

Old Spanish espada

Spanish espada

Inherited from Old Spanish espada, from Latin spatha, borrowed from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “any broad blade, of wood or metal”). Doublet of espata.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /esˈpada/ [esˈpa.ð̞a]
• Rhymes: -ada
• Syllabification: es‧pa‧da

Noun

espada f (plural espadas)

1. (countable) sword (a long bladed weapon with a grip and typically a pommel and crossguard (together forming a hilt), which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack)
2. (usually in the plural) spade (playing card marked with the symbol ♠)
3. (fencing) épée (fencing sword of a certain modern type)
4. (heraldry) sword (the weapon used as a heraldic charge)

Noun

espada m or f by sense (plural espadas)

1. (bullfighting) matador (person whose aim is to kill the bull in a bullfight)

Derived terms

• a capa y espada
• comedia de capa y espada
• con la espada desnuda
• danza de espadas
• desceñirse la espada
• desnudar la espada
• entrar espada en mano
• entre la espada y la pared
• espada de Damocles
• espada de dos filos
• espada de marca
• espada en cinta
• espada larga
• espadaña
• espadero
• la pluma es más poderosa que la espada
• librar la espada
• mozo de espadas
• pez espada
• planta espada
• presentar la espada
• primero espada

Related terms

• espalda

Descendants

• → Cebuano: espada
• → English: espada
• → Japanese: スベタ
• → Karao: ispada
• → Classical Nahuatl: espada
• → Romanian: espadă
• → Tagalog: espada

Further reading

• “espada”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish espada, from Latin spatha, from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē). Compare Tausug ispara.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔesˈpada/ [ʔɛsˈpaː.d̪ɐ]
• Rhymes: -ada
• Syllabification: es‧pa‧da

Noun

espada (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜐ᜔ᜉᜇ)

1. sword

   Synonym: (archaic) kalis

2. (colloquial) swordplay

   Synonym: espadahan

3. (card games) spade
4. swordfish

   Synonyms: dugso, isdang-espada

5. sword plant
6. a kind of aquatic plant with fibrous roots

   Synonym: lanting

7. (LGBTQ slang) penis

   Synonyms: uten, titi

Derived terms

• espadahan
• espadahin
• isdang-espada

See also

• sable

Further reading

• “espada”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018