‖prop. n. [ Prop. Sp. escorial, i. e., a hill or heap of rubbish, earth, and stones brought out of a mine, fr. escoria dross of metal, L. scoria, fr. Gr. &unr_;. Cf. Scoria. ] A palace and mausoleum of the kings of Spain, being a vast and wonderful structure about twenty-five miles northwest of Madrid; called also escurial. It was erected in 1563-1584 and contains a monastery. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

☞ The ground plan is said to be in the form of a gridiron, the structure being designed in honor of St. Lawrence, who suffered martyrdom by being broiled on a gridiron; but the resemblance is very slight. It is nearly square, inclosing several courts, and has a projecting mass which stands for the handle. [ 1913 Webster ]