la ara
altar
Es un tipo de ave muy colorida, de gran tamaño, con un pico fuerte y una cola larga, que vive en zonas tropicales.
Definition & meaning
Ara has two main meanings in Spanish:
- An altar, especially an ancient stone altar used for offerings or sacrifices. This sense is now mostly historical or literary. It also appears in the expression en aras de, meaning “for the sake of” or “in the pursuit of.”
- “Plows” or “plow!” As a verb form, ara comes from arar , meaning “to plow” or “to till.” It can mean “he/she/it plows” or serve as the informal singular command “plow!”
Grammar & Word origin
As a noun, ara is feminine: el ara is used in the singular because the word begins with a stressed a, but it remains feminine, as shown in las aras. The noun comes from Latin ara, “altar.”
As a verb, ara is a form of arar : the third-person singular present indicative or the informal singular affirmative imperative. It comes from Latin arāre, “to plow.”
Synonyms & antonyms
For the noun meaning “altar,” a close synonym is altar . Ara often sounds more historical or literary, while altar is the usual everyday term. There is no direct antonym.
For the verb meaning “plows,” labra can be similar when it means working or cultivating soil, but it is not an exact substitute in every context. There is no direct antonym.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
El guía explicó la historia del ara.noun
The guide explained the history of the altar.
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