Madeja

Today's word is: Madeja

Clase: sustantivo (noun)

Género: femenino (feminine)

Origen: latín (Latin)

Related words

la madeja	noun	the skein the head of hair the mane
el enmadejado	noun	the winding
desmadejado desmadejada desmadejados desmadejadas	adjective	unravelled tired weakened
enmadejado enmadejada enmadejados enmadejadas	adjective	wound
desmadejar(se)	verb	to unravel to become weak to faint
enmadejar*	verb	to wind into skeins

In Spanish, “madeja” is a feminine noun of Latin origin which means skein. A typical example of the use of the word “madeja” in this context is:

• Una madeja de lana (a skein of wool)

The Spanish noun “madeja” also means mane or head of hair. A typical example of the use of the word “madeja” in this context is:

• ¡Menuda madeja de pelo tiene tu amigo! (what a head of hair your friend has!)

A related word is “desmadejado”, a describing word/ adjective meaning unravelled, tired or weak. A typical example of the use of the word “desmadejado” as a describing word/ adjective is:

• Quizás se nos vea desmadejados (maybe we look of tired/ weak)

Also a related word is “enmadejado”, which could be:

• A noun meaning winding. A typical example of the use of the word “enmadejado” as a noun is:
  • El enmadejado de la seda (silk throwing/ silk reeling)
• A describing word/ adjective meaning wound. A typical example of the use of the word “enmadejado” as a describing word/ adjective is:
  • Lana enmadejada (wool wound into skeins)

The action word/ verb “desmadejar”/ “desmadejarse” is a related word meaning to unravel, to become weak or even to faint. A typical example of the use of this verb could be:

• El levantamiento se desmadejó enseguida (the uprising unravelled very quickly)

The action word/ verb “enmadejar” is a related word meaning to wind into skeins. A typical example of the use of the word “enmadejar” in this context is:

• Deberías enmadejar la lana (you ought to wind the wool into a skein)

Spanish expressions with the word “madeja” are:

• Enredar la madeja (to complicate things)
  • Deja de enredar la madeja (stop complicating things)
• Enredarse la madeja (things get complicated/ twisted)
  • Fue entonces cuando se enredó la madeja (it was then that things began to get complicated)
• Madeja sin cuenta (hopeless mess/ tremendous confusion/ tremendous tangle)
  • Eso es una madeja sin cuenta (that is a hopeless mess/ a tremendous confusion/ a tremendous tangle)

Notes

*In Bolivia, Chile and México “aspar” is used with the same meaning.

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "madeja" in the YouTube clip: La Madeja - La Vela Puerca

For more on the word "madeja", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Madeja

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “madeja”in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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