Spanish Armada
1
6.7
- proper noun
:
Armada Española
- Writing history with a strong narrative line, Mattingly described the situation in France in the months prior to Philip II's launching the Spanish Armada toward Elizabeth's England.
- defeat of the Spanish Armada
I Sir Francis Drake and the Spanish Armada, another storm wiped out the Spanish Armada when they tried to invade England.
- I Sir Francis Drake and the Spanish Armada, another storm wiped out the Spanish Armada when they tried to invade England.
Examples
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In 1588, North Atlantic storms so battered the Spanish Armada that a weaker English navy was able to thwart their proposed invasion of England.
Academic text (2003) -
The English were expecting invasion from Spain, and Philip built a great fleet, the Spanish Armada.
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The war completed the decline of the Habsburg Empire, which had already lost power in Western Europe following the revolt in the Netherlands and the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
Academic text (2005) -
In 1588, after failing to conquer England, remnants of the Spanish Armada sought safety in Catholic Ireland.
Academic text (1995) -
The hurricane—and later events, including the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588—slammed that window shut.
Academic text (2010) -
It was an age of exploration and expansion abroad, while back at home, the Protestant Reformation became more acceptable to the people, most certainly after the Spanish Armada was repulsed.
Blog text (5) -
In 1588, the "invincible" Spanish Armada of 130 ships set sail to attack the English Channel, but was delayed by a series of storms that forced the fleet back to Lisbon.
Blog text (22) -
In 1588, the Spanish Armada set sail to invade England, but it would ultimately face defeat.
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The Spanish Armada was a powerful fleet assembled by King Philip II of Spain for an invasion of England.
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The Spanish Armada's failed invasion marked a turning point in naval warfare and European power dynamics.
Synonyms
23
7.2
A large group of ships, often warships
A large fleet of Spanish warships that the English navy defeated in 1588
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression is compositionally predictable: 'Spanish' (from Spain) + 'armada' (a fleet) yields 'a fleet from Spain', so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a Spanish naval fleet. Although it is a fixed historical proper name with specific 1588 connotations, that historical specificity does not prevent the basic meaning being directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Spanish Armada comes from 1588 when Spain sent a huge fleet to try to invade England. The word Armada means 'armed fleet', and the picture of many warships sailing together, then being scattered by English attacks and storms, helps explain why this phrase refers to that famous failed invasion.