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polvo

POHL-boh/ˈpol.βo/

dust, powder

Also: dirt
NounmA2
A close-up of an old wooden table surface covered in a thin, visible layer of gray dust.

📝 In Action

Necesitas limpiar el polvo de esa mesa.

A1

You need to clean the dust off that table.

La receta pide una cucharada de polvo de hornear.

A2

The recipe calls for a tablespoon of baking powder.

Después de la sequía, había mucho polvo en el camino.

B1

After the drought, there was a lot of dust on the road.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • quitar el polvo – to dust (to remove the dust)
  • polvo de cacao – cocoa powder
  • polvo cósmico – cosmic dust

Idioms & Expressions

  • morder el polvo – to bite the dust (to be defeated or fail)

quick sex, hookup

Also: shag
NounmB2slang
Spain
Two highly stylized, simplified figures embracing quickly and closely on a soft, colorful blanket, suggesting a brief, intimate moment.

📝 In Action

Dicen que él siempre va a las discotecas para echar un polvo.

B2

They say he always goes to the clubs to hook up (have quick sex).

¿Conseguiste el polvo que querías?

C1

Did you get the hookup you wanted?

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sexo (sex (neutral))
  • rollito (fling/thing (Spain slang))

Idioms & Expressions

  • echar un polvo – to have a quick sexual encounter

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "polvo" in Spanish:

dirt→dust→hookup→powder→quick sex→shag→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: polvo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'polvo' in its neutral, non-slang meaning?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
empolvar(to dust/to powder) — Verb
desempolvar(to dust off) — Verb
polvareda(cloud of dust) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
solvocalvo
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin word *pulvis*, which means 'dust' or 'powder.' This is related to the English word 'pulverize' (to grind into a fine powder).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: polvereFrench: poudre

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Frequently Asked Questions

¿Por qué es 'el polvo' si muchas palabras que terminan en -a o tienen una consistencia similar son femeninas?

Polvo is masculine (*el polvo*) because its root, the Latin word *pulvis*, was historically masculine or treated as such. In Spanish, it settled firmly as a masculine noun, unlike *la arena* (sand) or *la ceniza* (ash).

Is the slang meaning of 'polvo' used in all Spanish-speaking countries?

While *echar un polvo* is most common in Spain, the word *polvo* can have sexual connotations (often negative, like 'affair' or 'mess') in other regions, but the exact idiom might change. Always be aware that it has a strong, vulgar association in informal contexts.