Spanish Conversation · Level 117
59 words
Spanish word
espiga
Pronunciation
IPA/esˈpiɣa/
Meaning
- feminine nounear of grain
Example
Vi una espiga en el suelo junto al camino.
I saw an ear of grain on the ground next to the road.
More examples
Ella se hizo una trenza de espiga antes de salir.
She made herself a fishtail braid before going out.
Core concept
An elongated row of closely packed grains running along the plant's main stalk.
Common phrases
trenza de espiga
fishtail braid
Similar words
mazorca: A compact ear of maize with kernels tightly attached to a central cob.
Definition in Spanish
Parte alargada de algunas plantas, sobre todo de cereales como el trigo o la cebada, donde se agrupan las flores y después se forman los granos.
Word origin
From Latin spica via Old Spanish, where a prosthetic e was inserted before the original sp- sequence, and it denotes the grain-bearing ear of cereals.
Usage tips
- In botanical usage espiga names the main cereal seed head; a smaller spike may be called espiguilla, while maize ears use mazorca.
Other meanings
- spikenoun