hidalgo
Impoverished Spanish aristocrat
A hidalgo is a member of the lower Spanish nobility—a gentleman by birth but often without wealth or significant landholdings.
The term comes from *hijo de algo*, "son of something," meaning someone of inherited status.
Don Quixote is the archetypal hidalgo: proud of his lineage but too poor to live grandly.
The word appears in historical contexts and in place names throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
Person of noble birth
landed · titled · lineage · ancestry · heraldry · coat of arms · estate · manor
Honored mounted soldier
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- valorCourage in danger
- gallantryCourage, especially in combat
- courtesyRespectful, considerate behavior
virtue · code · quest · duel · champion · horseman · sword · dignity
Spanish colonial soldier-explorer
- New WorldWestern Hemisphere landmasses
- encomiendaForced indigenous labor grant
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
- conquestDefeating and seizing control
settlers · territory · land grant · Spanish crown · viceroy · hacienda · missions · soldier
Freedom from external control
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
- priestOne who performs sacraments
- insurgentOne who revolts
- heroOne admired for courage
patriot · Guanajuato · liberator · bell · rebellion · freedom
aristocrat
Person of noble birth
señor · landed · titled · lineage · ancestry · heraldry · coat of arms · estate · manor · gentry
knight
Honored mounted soldier
courtesy · virtue · code · quest · duel · champion · horseman · sword · dignity · loyalty
conquistador
Spanish colonial soldier-explorer
- New WorldWestern Hemisphere landmasses
- encomiendaForced indigenous labor grant
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
conquest · settlers · territory · land grant · Spanish crown · viceroy · hacienda · missions · soldier · frontier
independence
Freedom from external control
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
- priestOne who performs sacraments
- insurgentOne who revolts
hero · patriot · Guanajuato · liberator · bell · rebellion · freedom
habanero
Extremely pungent chili variety
- chipotleSmoke-dried jalapeño pepper
- jalapeñoMild-to-medium Mexican pepper
- serranoSmall hot Mexican pepper
guajillo · pasilla · chile · Scoville · capsaicin · smoky · dried · salsa · mole · adobo