Spanish Armada

noun

1. the great fleet sent by Philip II of Spain against England in 1588: defeated in the Channel by the English fleets and almost completely destroyed by storms off the Hebrides Also calledthe Armada

Armada, Spanish

1. A fleet of more than a hundred ships sent by King Philip II of Spain to conquer England in 1588. Although called the “Invincible Armada,” it was destroyed by a combination of English seamanship, Dutch reinforcements, and bad weather . Several thousand Spaniards were killed, and about half the Spanish ships were lost.

Notes

The defeat of the Armada was a sharp blow to the influence and prestige of Spain in the world and was an important step in England's ascent to power.

Example Sentences

The earliest shipwreck is a Spanish Armada vessel from the 1500s, but most are wooden sailing merchant vessels from the 19th Century and World War One and Two vessels.

From BBC

He is credited for defeating the Spanish Armada's invasion of England in 1588 and also became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.

From BBC

“Not the way we wanted it to. But my mom sure enjoyed my newfound mastery of Spanish cuisine. I also know some obscure historical trivia about Spain, the Spanish Armada, and, for some reason, Spaniels.”

From Literature

Don't quote me, but someone once told me that it has to do with all the trees mowed down to create the Spanish Armada — they've been working on regrowing their forests ever since.

From Salon

The U.S. was still 3 up when the Spanish Armada took sail.

From Seattle Times