The Collaborative International Dictionary
Spanish \Span"ish\, a. Of or pertaining to Spain or the Spaniards. Spanish bayonet (Bot.), a liliaceous plant ( Yucca alorifolia) with rigid spine-tipped leaves. The name is also applied to other similar plants of the Southwestern United States and mexico. Called also Spanish daggers. Spanish bean (Bot.) See the Note under Bean. Spanish black, a black pigment obtained by charring cork. --Ure. Spanish broom (Bot.), a leguminous shrub ( Spartium junceum) having many green flexible rushlike twigs. Spanish brown, a species of earth used in painting, having a dark reddish brown color, due to the presence of sesquioxide of iron. Spanish buckeye (Bot.), a small tree ( Ungnadia speciosa) of Texas, New Mexico, etc., related to the buckeye, but having pinnate leaves and a three-seeded fruit. Spanish burton (Naut.), a purchase composed of two single blocks. A double Spanish burton has one double and two single blocks. --Luce (Textbook of Seamanship). Spanish chalk (Min.), a kind of steatite; -- so called because obtained from Aragon in Spain. Spanish cress (Bot.), a cruciferous plant ( Lepidium Cadamines), a species of peppergrass. Spanish curlew (Zo["o]l.), the long-billed curlew. [U.S.] Spanish daggers (Bot.) See Spanish bayonet. Spanish elm (Bot.), a large West Indian tree ( Cordia Gerascanthus) furnishing hard and useful timber. Spanish feretto, a rich reddish brown pigment obtained by calcining copper and sulphur together in closed crucibles. Spanish flag (Zo["o]l.), the California rockfish ( Sebastichthys rubrivinctus). It is conspicuously colored with bands of red and white. Spanish fly (Zo["o]l.), a brilliant green beetle, common in the south of Europe, used for raising blisters. See Blister beetle under Blister, and Cantharis. Spanish fox (Naut.), a yarn twisted against its lay. Spanish grass. (Bot.) See Esparto. Spanish juice (Bot.), licorice. Spanish leather. See Cordwain. Spanish mackerel. (Zo["o]l.)
A species of mackerel ( Scomber colias) found both in Europe and America. In America called chub mackerel, big-eyed mackerel, and bull mackerel.
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In the United States, a handsome mackerel having bright yellow round spots ( Scomberomorus maculatus), highly esteemed as a food fish. The name is sometimes erroneously applied to other species. See Illust. under Mackerel.
Spanish main, the name formerly given to the southern portion of the Caribbean Sea, together with the contiguous coast, embracing the route traversed by Spanish treasure ships from the New to the Old World.
Spanish moss. (Bot.) See Tillandsia (and note at that entry).
Spanish needles (Bot.), a composite weed ( Bidens bipinnata) having achenia armed with needlelike awns.
Spanish nut (Bot.), a bulbous plant ( Iris Sisyrinchium) of the south of Europe.
Spanish potato (Bot.), the sweet potato. See under Potato.
Spanish red, an ocherous red pigment resembling Venetian red, but slightly yellower and warmer.
--Fairholt.Spanish reef (Naut.), a knot tied in the head of a jib-headed sail.
Spanish sheep (Zo["o]l.), a merino.
Spanish white, an impalpable powder prepared from chalk by pulverizing and repeated washings, -- used as a white pigment.
Spanish windlass (Naut.), a wooden roller, with a rope wound about it, into which a marline spike is thrust to serve as a lever.
Blister \Blis"ter\, n. [OE.; akin to OD. bluyster, fr. the same root as blast, bladder, blow. See Blow to eject wind.]
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A vesicle of the skin, containing watery matter or serum, whether occasioned by a burn or other injury, or by a vesicatory; a collection of serous fluid causing a bladderlike elevation of the cuticle.
And painful blisters swelled my tender hands.
--Grainger. Any elevation made by the separation of the film or skin, as on plants; or by the swelling of the substance at the surface, as on steel.
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A vesicatory; a plaster of Spanish flies, or other matter, applied to raise a blister.
--Dunglison.Blister beetle, a beetle used to raise blisters, esp. the Lytta vesicatoria (or Cantharis vesicatoria), called Cantharis or Spanish fly by druggists. See Cantharis.
Blister fly, a blister beetle.
Blister plaster, a plaster designed to raise a blister; -- usually made of Spanish flies.
Blister steel, crude steel formed from wrought iron by cementation; -- so called because of its blistered surface. Called also blistered steel.
Blood blister. See under Blood.
Cantharis \Can"tha*ris\ (k[a^]n"th[.a]*r[i^]s), n.; pl. Cantharides (k[a^]n*th[a^]r"[i^]*d[=e]z). [L., a kind of beetle, esp. the Spanish fly, Gr. kanqari`s.] (Zo["o]l.) A beetle ( Lytta vesicatoria, syn. Cantharis vesicatoria), having an elongated cylindrical body of a brilliant green color, and a nauseous odor; the blister fly or blister beetle, of the apothecary; -- also called Spanish fly. Many other species of Lytta, used for the same purpose, take the same name. See Blister beetle, under Blister. The plural form in usually applied to the dried insects used in medicine.
Wikipedia
The Spanish fly is an emerald-green beetle in the family Meloidae, Lytta vesicatoria.
Spanish fly may also refer to:
- Cantharidin, a poisonous compound secreted by the Spanish fly, historically used in medication and as an aphrodisiac
Spanish Fly is an American film about the use of an aphrodisiac in a Los Angeles night club, released in 2003. The director, Will Wallace, won the Festival Prize for Best Comedy Feature at the Deep Ellum Film Festival in 2002. Cast included David Shackelford, Will Wallace, Judy Geeson, Anthony Crivello, Adam Russell Stuart, Carlos Alazraqui, Robert Merrill, Joe Estevez, Katrina Holden Bronson, Tom J. Jones, Ruben Pla, Tess Hunt, Larry Romano, Dana Lee, Jonathan Abrahams, and Eric Martsolf.
Spanish Fly is a 1987 album by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. It is best known for the singles "Head to Toe" and "Lost in Emotion". The album was a commercial success, going Platinum and producing two number-one hits in the United States.
"Spanish Fly" is an instrumental solo played on a nylon string acoustic guitar by Eddie Van Halen. It was featured on his band Van Halen's 1979 album Van Halen II. The track was viewed by critics and fans alike as a follow up to the electric guitar instrumental " Eruption" from the band's first album Van Halen released in 1978.
The track is played in one take with a pick, rather than fingerstyle. It expands on many of the techniques used in " Eruption" such as tremolo picking and finger tapping. Many guitar players have stated this to be a more difficult and technical piece than "Eruption". Guitarist Steve Vai has been known to say "Spanish Fly" is his favorite Van Halen song.
Category:1979 songs Category:Van Halen songs Category:Rock instrumentals Category:Songs written by Eddie Van Halen Category:Song recordings produced by Ted Templeman Category:Flamenco songs
Spanish Fly is a 1975 British- Spanish comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Terry-Thomas, Leslie Phillips, Graham Armitage, Sue Lloyd and Nadiuska. A British fashion designer heads out to Spain for a shoot where he crosses swords with an old school rival who is now a confidence trickster.
It was filmed in Menorca.
Usage examples of "spanish fly".
Hell, he must have gone through a ton of Spanish fly when he was a kid.
Joe Edwards, to them, was the leader of a Communist drug plot to destroy their way of life, sell LSD to their children and Spanish Fly to their wives.
Mayer just laughed when I told him the story about the Spanish Fly.
Because he was Mexican, and a menial laborer, he was invisible to the affluent Santa Barbara customers, who spoke openly about the most intimate details of their lives, oblivious to the Spanish fly on the wall.
When they were half gassed, he asked them if they'd like to try some real Spanish Fly.
Old authors say: 'this fiery and hot-spirited herb is not fit to be given inwardly, but that an ointment of the leaves and flowers will raise a blister and may be applied to the nape of the neck to draw rheum from the eyes,' and that mixed with a little mustard it raises a blister as perfectly as the Spanish Fly.