Spanish word

pana

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpana/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncorduroy

Example

Esta chaqueta es de pana.

This jacket is made of corduroy.

Illustration for pana (corduroy)

More examples

Ella llevó un vestido de pana a la cena.

She wore a corduroy dress to dinner.

Core concept

Thick fabric with raised, parallel vertical ribs and a soft pile.

Common phrases

  • chaqueta de pana

    corduroy jacket

  • bolso de pana

    corduroy bag

  • vestido de pana

    corduroy dress

Similar words

cotelé: Fabric marked by narrow, groove-like vertical ribs forming a corded texture.
terciopelo: Soft, smooth fabric with a long, dense pile and a subtle sheen.
gamuza: Soft leather with a napped, velvety surface created by rubbing the hide.
felpa: Soft fabric with a dense covering of short pile that feels plush to the touch.

Definition in Spanish

Tejido resistente con un pelo levantado y surcos que forman canales, usado en ropa de invierno; en el habla coloquial de algunos países 'pana' quiere decir amigo.

Word origin

From Latin pannus 'cloth' via medieval Romance forms such as panno, with Spanish pana narrowing to the napped, ribbed textile.

Usage tips

  • In Spain the word mainly names the fabric, but in Venezuela and some Caribbean countries pana commonly means 'friend', so regional context determines whether it is literal or slang.

Other meanings

  • friendnoun

Word lists with this word