brazil
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
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Also called: brazil wood. the red wood obtained from various tropical leguminous trees of the genus Caesalpinia , such as C. echinata of America: used for cabinetwork
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the red or purple dye extracted from any of these woods See also brazilin
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short for brazil nut
noun
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The only country in South America whose history was dominated by Portugal; it is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world.
The largest of the Latin-American countries, Brazil occupies almost half of South America.
It is the world's leading coffee exporter.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of brazil
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English brasile, from Medieval Latin, from Italian, from Spanish brasil, derivative of brasa “live coal” (the wood being red in color), from Germanic; see braise
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Saquon Barkley made a dream debut for the Philadelphia Eagles as they beat the Green Bay Packers in the NFL's first ever trip to brazil.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2024
Before manufacturers could produce them artificially, reds came from minerals, bugs, plants: madder root, kermes, cochineal, brazil wood, cinnabar.
From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2019
Put the brazil nuts into another freezer bag and also bash them, so you end up with different-sized nut rubble.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 13, 2018
Teaching girls self defense classes might be wise, not just in brazil.
From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2017
Biscuits 8 ozs. white flour, 2 ozs. ground rice, 3 ozs. sugar, 4 ozs. grated brazil kernels.
From No Animal Food and Nutrition and Diet with Vegetable Recipes by Rupert H. Wheldon
Clarke ended his seven-year reign earlier this summer after Scotland failed to progress from the World Cup group stage after a victory over Haiti was followed by defeats by Morocco and Brazil.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
He says he wants to "rescue" Brazil, promising to be tough on crime and prioritize fiscal responsibility.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
In Brazil, where personalities often matter more than party labels, powerful leaders have long tried to transfer their popularity to handpicked successors—with wildly mixed results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Section 301 has also opened the door to new country-specific tariffs targeted at Brazil, at 25%, while Section 338 was cited to slap an extra 50% import tax on certain Canadian goods.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Plus, he’s won Teacher of the Year more times than Brazil has won the World Cup.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.