cortina

Everyday

1. (a name) The Ford Cortina, a very popular family car in Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand from 1962 to 1982. tree →
2. (a place name) Cortina d'Ampezzo, a ski town in the Dolomite mountains of northern Italy that hosted Winter Olympics in 1956 and, with Milan, in 2026. tree →
3. (science, rare) A cobweb-like veil under the cap of some young mushrooms. tree →
4. (Spanish) In Spanish, «cortina» means a curtain; it is not an English word in that sense. tree →

In the lessons

It is a short honest entry: in English texts it is almost always a name — of an old car seen in stories set in 1970s Britain, or of the Italian ski town in sports news. Phrases: «a Ford Cortina», «Cortina d'Ampezzo».

Examples

• Grandad's first car was a blue Ford Cortina. tree →
• The skiers raced down the slopes at Cortina. tree →
• The 2026 Winter Olympics were held in Milan and Cortina. tree →
• In the old photo, the family stands next to their Cortina. tree →
• Some mushrooms have a cortina, a web-like veil under the cap. tree →

Note

Usually written with a capital C as a name. Said «kor-TEE-nuh». In Spanish and Italian it means «curtain», which can confuse learners.