the area around the coast of northern South America, from which Spanish ships carried gold and treasure back to Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. Many of these ships were attacked by pirates, and there are many stories and films about the exciting adventures of the people who sailed the Spanish Main. Northern coast of South America. The term refers to an area that was once under Spanish control and spanned roughly between the Isthmus of Panama and the delta of the Orinoco River. The term can also refer to the Caribbean Sea and adjacent waters, especially when referring to the period when the region was troubled by pirates