Dictionaries and glossaries

These bilingual glossaries fill the gaps that general dictionaries leave behind — the specialized vocabulary, professional terminology, and niche domains that matter to translators, interpreters, language learners, and working professionals. Each one is researched and reviewed by Andrew Lillie, a trained Spanish-English linguist and the founder of Firefly Linguistics, with research and drafting assisted by AI tools. New glossaries are added regularly.
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Culinary Spanish

Live

Culinary Descriptors (Cooking Adjectives)

Describe flavor, texture, aroma, and food quality with precision — 100 essential adjectives in English and Spanish.
100 entries · EN / ES

Cooking Verbs

100 essential culinary actions — preparation techniques and cooking methods with bilingual definitions and usage contexts.
100 entries · EN / ES

Kitchen Utensils

A comprehensive reference to kitchen equipment, tools, and utensils used in home and professional settings.
400+ entries · EN / ES

Edible Flowers

Trilingual reference (English / Spanish / Latin) with flavor profiles, common culinary uses, and safety notes.
100 entries · EN / ES / Latin

Chocolate Making

The vocabulary of chocolate manufacturing — a gap no other bilingual glossary filled when it was first compiled.
278 entries · EN / ES
Additional culinary glossaries — including baking, tasting, and regional cuisines — will be added as the series expands.
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Outdoor Activities & Recreation

Live

Bilingual vocabulary for the field — drawn from eighteen years leading youth outdoor trips in Washington, Oregon, and Puerto Rico. Sixteen glossaries covering hiking and backpacking, winter travel and avalanche safety, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, map and compass navigation, wilderness first aid, and trail sports. Spanish terms reflect standard usage across major Latin American regions, with regional variants noted where they matter.
New outdoor glossaries are published on a roughly monthly cadence.
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Gaming, D&D & Pop Culture

Live

Niche bilingual vocabulary for the fandoms and gaming communities where no publisher had gone before — the gaps a trained linguist notices and publishers ignore.

Dungeons & Dragons (5e)

The most comprehensive bilingual D&D 5e glossary available — spells, monsters, magic items, subclasses, conditions, and core rules, verified against the official EDGE Entertainment Spanish editions. Searchable in either language.
1,600+ entries · EN / ES

Dune: Terminology

The terminology of Frank Herbert’s universe, anchored to the Domingo Santos translation (Plaza y Janés / Debolsillo).
128 entries · EN / ES

Cthulhu Mythos & Call of Cthulhu

Lovecraftian and Call of Cthulhu RPG vocabulary, drawn from Francisco Torres Oliver’s canonical translations and the Edge Studio 7th-edition Spanish rulebook.
101 entries · EN / ES

Cryptids of the World In Development

A bilingual cross-reference of cryptids from around the world.

Draft in progress · EN / ES
More RPG, sci-fi, and fantasy glossaries are in development.
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Jobs & Professions

Launching Soon

Practical bilingual vocabulary for the trades and workplaces where English and Spanish meet on the job every day — built for bilingual crews, job-site supervisors, workforce trainers, and labor interpreters. The first glossaries in this cluster are in production:

Nursery & Greenhouse WorkComing soon

Vocabulary for plant nursery and greenhouse workers — propagation, potting, irrigation, and plant care.

LandscapingIn development

Grounds and landscaping terminology — tools, materials, turf, hardscape, and crew communication.
Also planned: roofing, drywall, and siding. The Glossary of Blood Donation Terminology (below) will join this cluster as companion workplace and healthcare glossaries are added.
Contact me to be notified when the first Jobs & Professions glossary launches.
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Medical & Health

Live

Blood Donation Terminology

Essential vocabulary of blood donation, transfusion medicine, and donor services — for healthcare professionals, bilingual staff, and community health workers.
Medical · EN / ES
This glossary will move into the Jobs & Professions cluster above as companion healthcare glossaries are added.

Reference Dictionaries I Recommend

These are the reference works I keep on my own shelf — the ones I was introduced to during graduate study at the University of Puerto Rico and have relied on throughout my career. Listed here as a resource. For a fuller guide, see The 5 Best Monolingual Spanish Dictionaries.
NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Monolingual Spanish Dictionaries

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a bilingual glossary?

A bilingual glossary pairs specialized terms in two languages — here, English and Spanish — with definitions and usage context, so professionals and learners can move accurately between them in a specific field.

Are these glossaries free to use?

Yes. Every glossary linked on this page is free to read and reference. Some are also available as downloadable PDFs for offline use.

Who writes them?

Andrew Lillie, a trained Spanish-English linguist and certified interpreter with roughly thirty years of experience. Terms are verified against authoritative sources (RAE, Fundéu, and field-specific references); research and drafting are assisted by AI tools, with all terminology reviewed before publication.

Can you build a custom glossary?

Yes — custom bilingual glossaries can be commissioned for organizations and language professionals. Get in touch to discuss a project.
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