Plaza

Today's WOTD is: "plaza" = square

In Spanish, the noun "plaza" is a feminine noun of Latin origin the main meaning of which is square. The noun “plaza” may also be used in Spanish to refer to:

• A vacancy or job position in a work environment;
• A seat on a bus/ train/ plane/ etc.);
• The public place where people would go to buy their food daily (meats, cheeses, fruit, vegetables, etc.), that is a food market;
• A stock market;
• A garrison town;

Some commonly used expressions containing the words "plaza" are:

• Abrir plaza (the first bull in a bullfight does it);
• Asentar plaza (to start service in the military/ to assert himself or herself/ to make one's mark);
• Atacar bien la plaza (to eat loads-colloquially);
• Cerrar plaza (the last bull in a bullfight does it);
• Cubrir la plaza de... (to fill the vacancy of...);
• Cubrir una plaza (to fill a vacancy);
• Plaza de abastos (central/ wholesale market - fruit, veg, etc.);
• Plaza de aparcamiento (reserved parking space);
• Plaza de armas (main square);
• Plaza de garaje (reserved parking space);
• Plaza de toros (bullring);
• Plaza fuerte (garrison town/ stronghold);
• Plaza libre* (empty seat);
• Plaza mayor (main square);
• Plaza vacante (vacancy/ vacant position);
• Romper plaza (the first bull in a bullfight does it);
• Sentar plaza (to start service in the military/ to assert himself or herself/ to make one's mark);

*NB Please remember that “libre” does not mean free of charge.

Some examples of the use of the word "plaza" are:

• Abrió plaza un toro de la casta Vistahermosa (the first was a bull from the Vistahermosa breed);
• Cerró plaza un toro de la casta Vistahermosa (the last was a bull from the Vistahermosa breed);
• Rompió plaza un toro de la casta Vistahermosa (the first was a bull from the Vistahermosa breed);
• Guitarra en mano, Pedro quiso asentar plaza de músico (with his guitar Pedro wanted to assert himself as a musician);
• Guitarra en mano, Pedro quiso sentar plaza de músico (with his guitar Pedro wanted assert himself as a musician);
• ¡Hay que ver cómo atacas la plaza! (what spectacle to see you eat!);
• En España hay plazas de abastos muy arquitectónicas (there are very architectural central markets in Spain);
• Este piso tiene plaza de aparcamiento (this flat has its own garage/ parking space);
• Este piso tiene plaza de garaje (this flat has its own garage/ parking space);
• Muchas ciudades de las Americas tienen su plaza de armas (many American cities have a main square – usually called Plaza de Armas);
• Muchas ciudades tienen su plaza de mayor (many cities have a main square – usually called Plaza Mayor);
• Cartagena de Indias fue una de las plazas fuertes españolas del Caribe (Cartagena de Indias was one the Spanish strongholds in the Caribean);
• No quedan plazas libres en ese vuelo (there are no seats left on that flight);
• Alguna plazas de toros se remontan al siglo XVIII (some bullrings can be traced back to the 18^th century);
• Tenemos varias plazas vacantes (we have several vacancies);
• Sólo nos falta cubrir la plaza de profesor de español (the only vacancy left is that of Spanish teacher);
• Sólo nos falta cubrir una plaza (we have only one vacancy left);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "plaza" in the YouTube clip: Plaza Sesamo Lola y las vocales 

For more on the word "plaza", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Plaza

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

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