Literature

Definition of library

Library is a term that comes from the Latin bibliothēca, which in turn comes from a Greek word. The first meaning included in the dictionary prepared by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) refers to the entity dedicated to the purchase, safekeeping, analysis, exhibition and lending of books and other types of […]

Definition of best seller

The English expression best seller is recognized by the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) as a literary or musical work that is very successful at a commercial level. In other words, a book or a music album becomes a best seller when it reaches a high level of sales. Although the RAE […]

Definition of bard

The term bard has several uses. On the one hand, it may come from the Latin word bardus, a term that in turn has its etymological root in the Welsh bardd. A bard, in this sense, is a person who is dedicated to poetry. In ancient times, a bard was the name given to someone who recited poems and […]

Definition of Babel

Babel is the biblical name for Babylon, an ancient city in the Lower Mesopotamia region. This town managed to become a power, but over the years it lost importance until it was abandoned. Today, its ruins are found in Iraq. According to Genesis, Babel was founded by Nimrod, a powerful […]

Definition of adventure

Adventure is a term whose etymology takes us back to the Latin language: its word adventūra can be translated as that which will come or happen. The notion is usually used in reference to the event, fact or occurrence that, for some reason, is out of the ordinary. For example: «Yesterday we had an adventure because we lost the […]

Definition of author

The term author comes from the Latin word auctor and refers to the individual who is the creator, inventor, generator or producer of something. For example: «Dan Brown is the author of 'The Da Vinci Code', one of the best-selling books of recent decades», «I'm going to discover who was the author of this act […]

Definition of although

Although is a conjunction that can be used in different ways. A conjunction is the term or group of terms that allow words or propositions to be linked. The term although can be used as an adversative conjunction to achieve a contrast between two ideas. In this case, although is synonymous with but. For example: «I am a little late, although […]

Definition of atrocious

Atrocious is an adjective that has negative connotations. The first meaning mentioned by the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) in its dictionary refers to something that is brutal, heartless, bloodthirsty or cruel. For example: «Nazism was an atrocious regime that tortured and murdered a huge number of people», «Atrocious crime in Villa San […]

Definition of rough

Rough is an adjective that, according to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), has several uses. The first meaning refers to something that, due to the characteristics of its surface, is unpleasant to the touch. For example: “What material are those pants made of? I don’t like them, they are very rough”, “When you run your hand over them […]

Definition of assonant

The adjective assonant is used to describe those words that, after their last accented vowel, share the vowel sounds in the same order. We also speak of assonant verses when they have this same characteristic. Words are assonant when, after their last stressed vowel, they have the same accented vowels in each syllable. The […]