Spanish Nouns Used Only in the Plural (not yet recorded)

Afueras - environs
Aguaderas - frames to carry water
Albricias - reward for good news--also used as interjection: joy! joy!!
Andas - stretcher, also frame for carrying an image
Calendas - calends
Calzoncillos - drawers
Carnestolendas - carnival
Celos - jealously--"Celo"--zeal
Hacer cosquillas - to tickle
Despabilladoras - snuffers
Enaguas - skirt
Fauces - gullet
Modales - manners
Mientes--also Mente - the mind
Parrillas - gridiron
Puches - sort of fritters
Tenazas - tongs, pincers
Tijeras - scissors
Tinieblas - utter darkness
Víveres - victuals
Zaragüelles - kind of breeches

Note the following:

Á ciegas - blindly
Á ojos cegarritas - blindly
Á horcajadas - astride
Á hurtadillas - on the sly
Á sabiendas - knowingly
De puntillas - on tiptoe
Á tientas - groping
De bóbilis bóbilis - without toil
De bruces - on all fours
En ayunas - fasting
En volandas - in the air, off one's feet

The following plurals, besides the ordinary, have also a different meaning from the singular

El alfiler - pin	Los alfileres - pins, pin-money
El día - day	Los días - days, birthday
La esposa - wife	Las esposas - wives, handcuffs
El grillo - the cricket	Los grilles - crickets, shackles
La letra - letter	Las letras - letters--literary knowledge
El padre - father	.mp3]Los padres[212] - fathers, parents

We make the following remarks on the plural of compound words.

The elements which concur to the formation of compound nouns are:

The elements in A are invariable except:

Un bullebulle - busybody	>Unos bullebulles
Un quehacer - occupation	>Unos quehaceres
Pasapasa - sleight of hand	Pasapasas - sleight of hand tricks

The elements in B take the mark of the plural:

Alzacuello - minister's collar	Alzacuellos
Alzapaño - curtain hook	Alzapañios
Andaniño - child's cart	Andaniñios
Antepasado - ancestor	Antepasados
Ave María - a prayer	Ave Marías
Cualquiera - whatever	Cualesquiera
Entremetido - intruder, busybody	Entremetidos
Gentilhombre - man of gentle birth	Gentileshombres
Guardafuego - fire-guard	Guardafuegos
Hijodalgo - squire	Hijosdalgo
Pasamano - handrail, lace-edgings	Pasamanos
Pasatiempo - pastime	Pasatiempos
Picaparte - latch or latchkey	Picapartes
Pisaverde - beau	Pisaverdes
Portaestandarte - standard bearer	Portaestandartes
Portafusil - musket-sling	Portafusiles
Puercoespín - porcupine	Puercosespines
Quienquiera - whoever	Quienesquiera
Quitasol - parasol	Quitasoles
Ricahembra - woman of gentle birth	Ricashembras
Sobrecama - counterpane	Sobrecamas
Sobredicho - aforesaid	Sobredichos
Tapaboca - slap on the mouth	Tapabocas
Tirabotón - button-hook	Tirabotones

In compound nouns (very rare) formed of two nouns of which the first stands as an adjective to the second, the first noun remains invariable, the second only taking the mark of the plural:

Ferrocarril - railway	Ferrocarriles
Madreselva - honeysuckle	Madreselvas

In the following compound nouns formed of an adjective and a noun, the adjective remains invariable in the plural, as:

Bajamar - low tide	Bajamares -
Bajorelieve - bas-relief	Bajorelieves -
Belladona - belladonna	Belladonas -
Blancomanjar - blanc-mange	Blancomanjares -
Plenamar - full tide	Plenamares -
Salvoconducto - safe conduct	Salvoconductos -
Salvaguardia - safeguard	Salvaguardias -
Santa Bárbara - powder magazine	Santa Bárbaras -

In compound nouns formed of two words, the first of which has suffered the loss or change of a letter, this first component remains invariable:

Artimaña - trick	Artimañas
Barbicano - white-bearded man	Barbicanos
Barbilindo - beardless man	Barbilindos
Boquirrubio - rosy-lipped	Boquirrubios
Cojitranco - lame fellow--disparagingly	Cojitrancos
Cuellierguido - stiff-necked man	Cuellierguidos
Gallipavo - turkey	Gallipavos
Manirroto - spendthrift	Manirrotos
Marisabidilla - blue stocking	Marisabidillas
Ojinegro - black-eyed	Ojinegros
Ojizarco - blue-eyed	Ojizarcos
Patizambo - bandy-legged	Patizambos
Pechicolorado - robin redbreast	Pechicolorados
Pleamar - high tide	Pleamares
Tragicomedia - tragi-comedy	Tragicomedias
Viandante - wayfarer	Viandantes

The following make their plural as follows:

Bancarrota - bankruptcy	Bancarrotas -
Coliflor - cauliflower	Coliflores
Dares y tomares - wrangling
Dimes y diretes - ifs, ands and buts
Don Diego de noche - four o'clocks: flower	Don Diegos de noche
Maritornes - ill-shaped woman	Maritornes
Parabién - compliment	Parabienes
Vaivén - vibration	Vaivenes

The following are examples of the large class of nouns (compound) formed with a verb or adverb and a plural noun and which are used for both numbers:

Azotacalles - idler
Buscavidas - pryer
Cortaplumas - penknife
Chupaflores - humming-bird
Destripaterrones - navvy
Lavamanos - wash-hand stand
Limpiabotas - boot-black
Matamoros - boaster
Mondadientes - toothpick
Papahueros - ninny
Papamoscas - ninny
Papanatas - ninny
Paracaídas - parachute
Paraguas - umbrella
Pelagatos - ragamuffin
Pintamonas - slap-dasher or bad partner
Sacacorchos - corkscrew
Salvavidas - life-boats
Sepancuantos - slap or blow

The following also are used for both numbers without alteration:

Correveidile - tale-bearer
Hazmereir - laughing-stock
Metomentodo - busybody
Paternoster - Lord's Prayer
Quitaipón - ornament for headstall of draught beasts
Sábelotodo - presumptious man
Sinvergüenza - barefaced man