pedregal

English

Etymology

From Spanish pedregal (“a stony place”), from piedra (“stone”).

Noun

pedregal (plural pedregals)

1. A lava field in Mexico or the Western US.

Further reading

• “pedregal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Galician

Etymology

From pedra (“stone”) + -al.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pedɾeˈɡal/ [pe.ð̞ɾeˈɣ̞ɑɫ]

• IPA^(key): (standard) /pedɾeˈɡal/ [pe.ð̞ɾeˈɣ̞ɑɫ]
• IPA^(key): (gheada) /pedɾeˈħal/ [pe.ð̞ɾeˈħɑɫ]

• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: pe‧dre‧gal

Noun

pedregal m (plural pedregais)

1. rocky place

References

• “pedregal”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “pedregal” in DIGALEGO - Dicionario de Galego, Ir Indo 2004, Xunta de Galicia 2013.
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “pedregal”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “pedregal”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “pedregal”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Pre-Greekder.?

Ancient Greek πέτρᾱ (pétrā)bor.

Latin petra

Old Galician-Portuguese pedra

Portuguese pedra

Portuguese -al

Portuguese pedregal

From pedra (“stone”) + -al.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pe.dɾeˈɡaw/ [pe.dɾeˈɡaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɨ.dɾɨˈɡal/ [pɨ.ðɾɨˈɣaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɨ.dɾɨˈɡal/ [pɨ.ðɾɨˈɣaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɨ.dɾɨˈɡa.li/ [pɨ.ðɾɨˈɣa.li]

• Hyphenation: pe‧dre‧gal

Noun

pedregal m (plural pedregais)

1. rocky place

Further reading

• “pedregal”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “pedregal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Spanish piedra

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Spanish -al

Spanish pedregal

From piedra (“stone”) + -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pedɾeˈɡal/ [pe.ð̞ɾeˈɣ̞al]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: pe‧dre‧gal

Noun

pedregal m (plural pedregales)

1. a place or region with rocky terrain
   • 2015 September 13, “Por qué el Estado Islámico no ganará [Why the Islamic State won't win]”, in El País‎^[1]:

     Serán vencidos porque los Peshmergas, una vez pasado el primer momento de estupor, hace un año, fortificaron sus posiciones en torno a la presa de Mosul, trazaron pistas entre los pedregales por encima de Bajdida, construyeron un verdadero Douaumont en el sector más estratégico de la región de Kirkuk, fortificaron las cimas rocosas de la zona de Zartik, excavaron en los llanos trincheras de cinco a diez metros de ancho para detener a los camiones kamikazes.

     They will be defeated because the Peshmergas, once the first moment of stupor had passed a year ago, fortified their positions around the Mosul dam, laid tracks among the scree above Bakhdida, built a veritable Douaumont in the most strategic sector of the Kirkuk region, fortified the rocky peaks of the Zartik area, dug trenches five to ten meters wide on the flats to stop the kamikaze trucks.

2. (Mexico) lava field

Further reading

• “pedregal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025