andorra

IPA/ænˈdɔːrə/
KK[ændˈɔrə]IPA/ænˈdɔːrə/

andorra — noun

1. A very small country high up in the Pyrenees mountains, lying between France and

1.nounB1
Definition

A very small country high up in the Pyrenees mountains, lying between France and Spain in southwestern Europe. It covers only about 468 square kilometres and is home to roughly 80,000 people. Catalan is the main language, and the country earns most of its money from tourism and tax-free shopping.

Example

Zayd spent a week skiing in Andorra during the winter holidays last December.

collocation: skiing in Andorra (tourism context)

Nikhil drove from Barcelona to Andorra in about three hours along the mountain roads.

proper noun: a destination you travel to

Common collocations
  • the mountains of Andorra
  • the people of Andorra
  • born in Andorra
Synonyms

Usage Note

Refers to the whole country. Speakers also use the same name informally for its capital town (Andorra la Vella), but the context — for example talking about a city's restaurants or streets — usually makes the narrower city meaning clear.

Common Mistakes

Andorra is a region of Spain.
Andorra is an independent country between Spain and France.
it has its own government, parliament, and laws, even though it is very small.

Word family

  • Andorran
    adjectiveC1
  • Andorran
    nounC1

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the mountains of Andorra
  • the people of Andorra
  • the capital of Andorra

Phrases

  • a trip to Andorra
  • born in Andorra
  • live in Andorra

Prepositions

  • in Andorra
  • to Andorra
  • from Andorra
  • across Andorra

Etymology

pre-Roman IberianCatalanSpanishEnglish

The name's origin is uncertain, but most scholars trace it to a pre-Roman word used by local Iberian or Basque-speaking peoples for the high valleys. Some older writers linked it to the Arabic 'al-Darra', meaning 'the thickly wooded place', dating from the brief Moorish presence in the region. The Catalan and Spanish spelling Andorra has stayed almost unchanged for centuries.