cebar

to fatten up

cebar(seh-bahr)

transitive verb

1. (to feed up)

a. to fatten up

Ceban a los animales para que aumenten de peso rápidamente.

The animals are fattened up so that they gain weight quickly.

b. to fatten

Hay que cebar al chancho antes de venderlo para que nos den un buen precio.

We need to fatten the pig before selling it so that we get a good price for it.

2. (angling or hunting)

a. to bait (a hook or trap)

¿Tienes gusanos para cebar el anzuelo?

Do you have worms to bait the hook with?

3. (to fuel)

a. to feed

Necesitamos leña para cebar el fuego.

We need wood to feed the fire.

b. to stoke up

No tenemos carbón para cebar el fuego.

We don't have any coal to stoke up the fire with.

4. (to intensify)

a. to feed (emotions)

Las mentiras que le dijo cebaron su enojo.

The lies he told her fed her anger.

5. (to prepare)

a. to prime (a weapon or machine)

Cebaron el explosivo para que pueda estallar.

The explosive has been primed ready for detonation.

b. to charge (a cannon)

La artillería ya cebó los cañones.

The artillery had charged the cannons.

6. (mate) (Southern Cone)

a. to brew

Cuando fui a Argentina vi como ceban el mate antes de tomarlo.

When I went to Argentina, I watched how they brewed mate prior to drinking it.

b. to prepare

Josefa me enseñó a cebar el mate.

Josefa showed me how to prepare mate.

intransitive verb

7. (to hold)

a. to grip

Apreté la tuerca y cebó muy bien.

I tightened the nut and it gripped fine.

cebarse

pronominal verb

8. (to treat badly; used with "con", "en" or "contra")

a. to take one's anger out on

Estaba tan furioso que se cebó contra todos los presentes.

He was so furious that he took his anger out on everyone there.

b. to vent one's anger on

No te cebes con tu hermana. No es culpa suya que te hayan robado el celular.

You shouldn't vent your anger on your sister. It isn't her fault that you've had your cell stolen.

9. (to affect; used with "con" or "en")

a. to strike

La tragedia se cebó ayer con una familia de Castellón.

Tragedy struck a Castellón family yesterday.

b. to hit

Esta tarde el huracán se cebó en la isla.

The hurricane hit the island this afternoon.

10. (to make an effort; used with "en")

a. to apply oneself to

Tenemos que cebarnos en la tarea para lograr nuestros objetivos.

We need to apply ourselves to the task if we are to achieve our goals.

cebar

transitive verb

1. (engordar)

a. to fatten (up)

2. (fuego, caldera)

a. to stoke, to fuel

3. (máquina, arma)

a. to prime

4. (anzuelo)

a. to bait

5. (mate) (River Plate)

a. to prepare, to brew

pronominal verb

6. (general)

a.

cebarse ento be merciless with

la policía se cebó con los manifestantesthe police dealt with the demonstrators brutally

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

cebar

transitive verb

1 [+animal] to fatten (up)

ceban a los pavos con piensos artificiales they fatten up the turkeys on artificial feeds; cuando voy a casa mi madre me ceba when I go home my mother feeds me up

2 [+anzuelo, cepo, trampa] to bait

3 [+fuego, horno] to feed; stoke (up); [+arma] to prime

4 [+pasión, odio] to feed; nourish; [+cólera] to feed

5 (S. Cone) [+maté] to brew

intransitive verb

[+tuerca, tornillo] to catch; grip; [+clavo] to go in;

pronominal verb

cebarse

cebarse con o en algn: la oposición se cebó con o en el presidente the opposition launched a savage o furious attack on the president; el paro se ceba especialmente en los jóvenes unemployment hits young people particularly hard; estaba enfadada y se cebó conmigo she was angry and took it out on me o vented her anger on me

el león se cebó con su presa los manifestantes se cebaron con los edificios públicos la crítica se ha cebado con el autor el seísmo se ha cebado con los barrios más humildes la epidemia se cebó con los más débiles la crisis económica se ha cebado en el sector agrícola el fuego se cebó con las esculturas