bañadas

Bañadas is the plural form of bañada, a Spanish noun and adjective with several related meanings. In geographic usage, una bañada refers to land that is or has been covered by water; broadly, it denotes a floodplain, marsh, lagoon, tidal flat, or other water-affected terrain. The term emphasizes the wetness or water influence of the landscape and is used in various regions to describe environments shaped by rivers, lakes, or coastal processes. The plural bañadas denotes multiple such areas.

In toponymy, bañadas is commonly found as part of place names in Spanish-speaking countries. It is often used to indicate a locality situated near water or historically associated with baths, springs, or wet environments. When used in a proper name, it does not by itself imply a standardized administrative category, but rather a geographic descriptor.

As an adjective, bañada can describe something that has been bathed or covered with a layer, such as food or surfaces described as bañadas en chocolate or bañadas with glaze; however, in everyday usage this sense is typically expressed with phrases rather than as a standalone noun.

Etymologically, bañadas derives from bañarse, the reflexive verb meaning to bathe, and from bañada as a feminine noun formed to describe a water-covered feature or place. Its exact sense is highly regional and can vary between contexts and countries. See also bañada, bañarse, floodplain, and toponymy.