In English, many things are named after a particular country – but have you ever wondered what those things are called in those countries?
adjectivethickest, thicker
1
1.1
(book/fabric/layer) grueso(layer/book/fabric) gordo informalit's 5cm thick — tiene 5cm de espesor / de grosor- an inch-thick layer — una capa de una pulgada de espesor / de grosor
- The ice that covers the surface is probably too thick to allow sunlight through.
- How fantastic it would be to wake up on Christmas morning, pull back the curtains and see the landscape covered by a thick layer of snow.
- A scar ran from above his right eye, across his nose and mouth, and ended just below the left side of his thick lips.
- The wood floor creaked as they explored the old furniture and boxes that had dust inches thick layering them.
- I arrived about fifteen minutes early, and leaned against a thick tree, closing my eyes for a moment.
- I closed the thick oak door and peered in the little window.
- The district woke up to a thick blanket of snow this morning as the winter entered its most bitter phase.
- I came very close to picking the thick tome up the other day, but some stubborn impulse in me resisted.
- It was mid-December, cold, and a thick blanket of snow covered everything.
- The burgers they dine on are suitably beefy without being too big, with stacks of thick fries on the side.
- To the south there are high mountains, covered in thick spring snow.
- Beneath his arm, he carried a thick, leather-bound book; it's title scrawled on the cover in an embellished silver font.
- A thick blanket of snow thwarted the efforts of search and rescue teams hunting for the missing girl yesterday, prolonging the agony for her family.
- There was a thick layer of dust on the top of the television.
- She looked across her room to the desk on the other side, the thick book on top of it waiting to be read.
- She laughed, then entered, the thick door closing behind her.
- No one had visited here for a long time and everything was covered by a thick layer of dust and the musty smell that accompanied a dwelling no one inhabited anymore.
- I looked down to see new footprints in the thick layer of dust.
- The room was covered in a thick layer of dust, and it looked as though no one had been there in years, but whoever had been there last was surely not welcome.
- Her light footsteps could be seen in the thick blanket of snow.
1.2(in consistency)
(cream/sauce/soup) espeso- In some cases, they have been burnt by leaking mustard gas, which, despite its name, is a thick, viscous liquid.
- The soups were equally good; the potato soup was thick and creamy and was served in a deep bowl with a generous helping of croutons.
- Once it has the consistency of thick cream, pour into warm sterilised jars.
- Mix all the ingredients to form a thick batter of pouring consistency.
- It was just the right consistency, neither too thick nor too watery, and the eggplant itself was thinly sliced and tender.
- This is a thick substance that is applied in two coats and will create a water barrier on your wall.
- Return the strained liquid to the saucepan and reduce to a thick syrup.
- My main meal came with well seasoned roasted potatoes, nice firm courgettes in thick tomato sauce, and mildly spiced yam.
- It should have the consistency of a thick paste.
- Everything seems so far away, and if feels as though I'm dragging myself through thick liquid.
- The dough should have the consistency of thick mayonnaise.
- She spooned some of the thick liquid into a spoon and handed it to him.
- As he pulled his black sweater off, I could see a steady flow of thick red liquid seeping freely from his left shoulder.
- Mix the clay with a little water until it is the consistency of very thick oatmeal.
- Add salt, pepper and cream and reduce to a thick, creamy consistency.
- It is more appetising than it sounds, having the creamy white consistency of thick mayonnaise.
- Using a small balloon whisk, mix in enough oil to give a thick emulsion.
- Glycerin is a thick liquid with a sweet taste that is found in fats and oils and is the primary triglyceride found in coconut and olive oil.
- Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together in a bowl until the mixture is thick and creamy and coats the back of a spoon.
- If the soup is too thick, add a little water until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Cook for a few minutes longer until the lamb and zucchini are both tender and the mixture has the consistency of a thick sauce.
1.3(dense)
(vegetation) espeso(vegetation) denso(hedge/fur) tupido(fog/smoke) espeso(fog/smoke) denso(beard/eyebrows) pobladoshe has thick hair — tiene mucho pelo- The city is blanketed today by large, thick clouds of smoke, the sun not able to pierce through at all today.
- The dust storms are so thick that you just can't even see your hand in front of your face.
- It is an area dense with the thick woods and craggy terrain of a largely virgin Arctic rain forest.
- He was tall and lanky, with small round glasses and a close cap of thick curls.
- It was raining here for much of the day, and when there wasn't rain, there were thick clouds in the air.
- She was fair-skinned, her eyes closed under thick eyelashes.
- The room is bathed in a yellow light, made dim by the thick haze of smoke hanging from the ceiling.
- Even though I have pretty simple hair - thick and straight - I'm nervous about how it's going to look.
- The lowering clouds develop into thick fog, then break into dazzling sunlight.
- Television footage showed lava flowing out of the crater while thick clouds of smoke rose upwards and a large fireball burst into the night sky.
- At the end of the three-hour journey, the thick forests thin out revealing a much-used pathway which slopes abruptly to the bed of a nearby river.
- I turned off the paved road into a dirt track, snaking through the thick forest alongside a bubbly creek.
- Then we plunged into thick forest for the final descent to the village.
- As the sun slowly rose into the sky, its blinding rays of light were filtered through the thick mists and clouds.
- The slopes are covered with thick forests while the basins hold orchards, fields and picturesque hamlets.
- They could see an immense mountain that stretched up into heavy thick clouds.
- As she gazed out into the expanse she saw nothing of the thick silver fog, or the dark grey water.
- The blue-gray smoke of cigars thickened the already thick air.
- His features were fine and the hair that was tied loosely behind his head was thick and a rich dark brown.
- Then, they saw a thick cloud of smoke whirl heavenwards.
- They could no longer see the town but they could see thick clouds of smoke wafting up in the distance.
- The road twisted and turned up and around the mountains, and soon I was surrounded by thick forest.
- Far away behind the hill, at the edge of a thick forest, the brown water of a stream flowed rapidly.
- Nelson frowned, his thick eyebrows pulling together into a solid line.
- The forest was filled with dense fog, so thick that I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me.
- Tall palm trees and thick forests of cactuses give travellers the impression that they are staying in a tropical region.
- The air was thick and murky, and she began to imagine horrible things coming for her.
- Smoke also blew in the direction of Downpatrick, where a thick cloud of smoke also covered the town's Market Street.
- We sped along a busy dual carriageway, lined with thick bushes and rocky outcrops.
- They are large, burrowing, nocturnal animals, with strong claws and a thick coat.
- Rain, heavy cloud cover and thick fog in the area had prompted Albania's prime minister to cancel his own flight to the conference.
- Claustrophobia and dread permeate the air like the thick mist around the mansion.
- It simply continued, going on towards infinity until finally the air itself was so thick as to be opaque.
- By dawn, when we can see a little, we realise that we are in the midst of thick forests.
- He had a goatee and thick eyebrows that hung over dark eyes.
- Gauls and Germans used the thick forests of northern Europe to hide from Caesar's legions and to ambush them when opportunities arose.
- So far the scenery around her had been thick fur trees and dense foliage.
- The rich thick forest cover around the Etna region is an added attraction to the tourists.
- His thick eyebrows draw closer to his nose as he smiles with his yellow teeth.
- To Jude she looked like an angel, with her dark locks encircling her face and her eyes closed and edged in thick lashes.
- He couldn't see a thing, as the moon hid behind the clouds and thick fog.
- At one point a section of the harbour was cordoned off amid fears of exploding diesel as thick clouds of smoke and fumes billowed across Cartron Bay.
2to be thick with
(covered, filled)estar lleno dethick with dust — lleno de polvo- thick with smoke — cargado / lleno de humo
- thick with tourists — atestado de turistas
- The air is often thick with fine particulates that coat filters and adhere to fluid spills.
- The gardens were in full bloom, and the air was thick with the sweet scent of flowers.
- It is one of very few neighbourhoods where the air is thick with the stench of rotting bin bags.
- The air was thick with grit and smoke, its acidic taste coating the insides of her mouth.
- The red rug that covered almost the entire width of the hall was thick with dust.
- It reminded me of the days when I attended marketing meetings where the air was thick with such terms.
- The stables were quiet and musty, and the air was thick with the warm smell of horses.
- Throughout the weeks of Advent the news has been thick with rumours of war.
- The trees stretched overhead while the ground beneath them was thick with shrubs and grasses.
- The alley was so thick with smoke that Carter could hardly see the men making it.
- There was a long silence that hung in the air and made it thick with dread and worry.
- The autumn air is thick with assertions that the Prime Minister's luck is finally running out.
- I ran out of the bedroom and saw the hallway absolutely thick with black smoke.
- The air was thick with incense smoke from joss sticks and everyone was eating.
- They lived on the boat for days or weeks at a time, passing by quiet, unnamed islands thick with trees.
- It was the morning of the house tournament and the air was already thick with anticipation.
- Anyway he says the whole region is thick with tens of thousands of troops dug in for the long haul.
- The air is often thick with the perfume of jasmine and orange blossom.
- However, the air was sometimes so thick with dust that it was almost impossible to breathe.
- The air around them was thick with dust and age as they descended a narrow set of spiral stone stairs.
- It was light, and birds were singing, but the sky was thick with early-morning clouds.
3
(heavy)(accent) fuerte(accent) marcadowith a thick voice — (from drink) con voz pastosa- His co-workers didn't have a problem with that, or his thick accent, he said.
- The priest's accent is thick, and he falters in his memorized patter about the church's attempts to overcome poverty and prejudice.
- The guy had spoken with a thick accent which made it hard to understand his words.
- He speaks with a thick south German accent that is difficult to understand, even if you speak German.
- It had also taken Katrina a while to grow accustomed to Hazel's thick accent, but after a few weeks of it, Katrina had come to like her voice.
- She speaks with a thick middle European accent, and she is difficult to understand.
- The actors are especially unhappy about the scene where the asylum seeker meets the English girl's parents and they cannot understand a word he says because of his thick accent.
- Plus, my accent was so thick that it was hard for the teachers to understand me.
- It was not hard to recognize Delilah's voice, nor Angel's thick accent as they talked, though it was harder to understand what they said.
- ‘Yeah, you left your bag in my cab,’ he says in a thick Brooklyn accent.
- A tall, heavy-set man with a thick accent then reached his hand out toward us.
- He had a thick Liverpudlian accent which made it harder to understand and he was going into some detail about what had happened.
- He could always tell a new immigrant, and he could prove it by their weak English and thick accents.
- He realized that the girl had a thick accent, but could not place it.
- His accent was thick, and she had no idea where it came from.
- Thoughtful and articulate with a warming, thick Scouse accent Nick has some pretty candid views about life and rock 'n' roll.
- ‘I would say we're pop rock,’ she says in a thick accent that gives away her Paisley background.
- He had a thick Italian accent but I could understand it for the most part.
- Finally, I hear a thick Middle Eastern accent asking me what I'd like.
- The accent was thick, exotic and lilting, and sounded as if it came from the south.
4
4.1informal (stupid)
burro informalcorto informal- At times he was stupid, but he was never thick enough to mess with her.
- He wasn't complaining either; Ashley and Harmony seemed to get along fine, though Mark could tell Harmony thought Ashley was a bit thick.
- I might be being a bit thick here but I don't get what ‘women like me’ means.
- At least, it might look that way if you were a bit thick.
- Now, excuse me if I'm being a bit thick here but haven't both of these ideas been around for donkeys' years?
- She is nothing but a stupid, old woman with an extremely thick skull, through which nothing can penetrate.
- I used to think it was me being stupid and thick; the teachers used to call me that a lot.
- The look of murderous, seething fury on my face must have finally sunk into his thick bovine head, because he turned and left.
- Up until then I'd just been branded as the thick, stupid farmer's son.
- I blinked my eyes blearily and opened my mouth to yawn; I felt thick and slow.
- Was he plain stupid, thick or did he just want to die?
- All I could think was that the author must think I'm too slow and thick to work it out for myself.
- She was gorgeous, and yet she was as thick and unintelligent as a sheep.
- He paused, waiting for the cruel and actually childishly stupid words to sink into my thick brain.
- Everybody thinks he's a bit thick, but it shows he has got some brains.
- I particularly like kids' fiction (mainly because I'm a bit thick and it's easy to read).
4.2informal (close)
to be thick (with sb) — estar a partir un piñón (con algn)- he's very thick with the boss — el jefe y él son uña y carne / (humorous) uña y mugre
- He seems very thick with him.
- ‘He has a fair chance of success, too, for he seems very thick with Floyd, and it's a good thing to have a friend at headquarters,’ observed the Colonel.
adverb
1
he slices the bread too thick — corta el pan demasiado grueso- the bread was spread thick with jam — el pan tenía una capa gruesa de mermelada
noun
1
she likes to be in the thick of things — le gusta estar donde está la acción- in the thick of the brawl — en lo más reñido de la pelea
- in the thick of night — en plena noche
Further reading

12 ways to say goodbye in other languages
Find out moreEnglish has borrowed many of the following foreign expressions of parting, so you’ve probably encountered some of these ways to say goodbye in other languages.

55 words ending in ‘ster’ you didn’t know you needed to know
Find out moreMany words formed by the addition of the suffix –ster are now obsolete - which ones are due a resurgence?