brazil

[bruh-zil]

noun

brazilwood.

Origin of brazil

1350–1400; Middle English brasile < Medieval Latin < Italian < Spanish brasil, derivative of brasa live coal (the wood being red in color) < Germanic; see braise

Brazil

[bruh-zil]

noun

a republic in South America. 3,286,170 sq. mi. (8,511,180 sq. km). Capital: Brasília.

Portuguese and Spanish Brasil.Official name Federative Republic of Brazil.

Related formsBra·zil·ian

[bruh-zil-yuh n] /brəˈzɪl yən/, adjective, nounpro-Bra·zil·ian, adjective, nounpseu·do-Bra·zil·ian, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for brazil

Contemporary Examples of brazil

In Brazil people color code their underwear according to their needs.
New Year’s Eve, Babylon Style
Candida Moss
December 31, 2014
The rift put Washington at odds with countries like Brazil, Uruguay or Chile, which seemed to have come to terms with their past.
Venezuela Says Goodbye to Its Lil Friend, While the Rest of the Continent Cheers
Catalina Lobo-Guererro
December 20, 2014
Lastly, the re-opening of diplomatic ties between Havana and Washington gives Brazil a chance to push for changes in Cuba.
Venezuela Says Goodbye to Its Lil Friend, While the Rest of the Continent Cheers
Catalina Lobo-Guererro
December 20, 2014
Santa Catarina, Brazil There could not be a better time to visit Brazil.
Why Your Next Vacation Will Be in Turkmenistan
Brandon Presser
December 13, 2014
But they were not making enough profits, as the rate of growth had slowed as Brazil invested in the welfare of its own people.
What Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff Can Teach Hillary Clinton
Heather Arnet
October 29, 2014

Historical Examples of brazil

And over there in Brazil, and up there towards the Cordilleras, it is unknown.
Green Mansions
W. H. Hudson
This left Brazil within the region claimed by the Portuguese.
Introductory American History
Henry Eldridge Bourne
In Brazil the diggings were not so extensive nor so rich as in this state.
Hittel on Gold Mines and Mining
John S. Hittell
Many thousands of Germans have already settled in southern Brazil.
Latin America and the United States
Elihu Root
A representative of a peaceful people is always welcome to Brazil.
Latin America and the United States
Elihu Root

British Dictionary definitions for brazil

brazil

brasil

noun

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
the red or purple dye extracted from any of these woodsSee also brazilin
short for brazil nut

Word Origin for brazil

C14: from Old Spanish brasil, from brasa glowing coals, of Germanic origin; referring to the redness of the wood; see braise

Brazil

noun

a republic in South America, comprising about half the area and half the population of South America: colonized by the Portuguese from 1500 onwards; became independent in 1822 and a republic in 1889; consists chiefly of the tropical Amazon basin in the north, semiarid scrub in the northeast, and a vast central tableland; an important producer of coffee and minerals, esp iron ore. Official language: Portuguese. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: real. Capital: Brasília. Pop: 201 009 622 (2013 est). Area: 8 511 957 sq km (3 286 470 sq miles)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for brazil

Brazil

1550s, from Spanish/Portuguese terra de brasil "red-dye-wood land," from Spanish brasil or Italian brasile, probably connected to French braize (see braize) for resemblance of color to a glowing ember (but Old Italian form verzino suggests a possible connection with Arabic wars "saffron"). Originally the name of a type of wood from an East Indian tree, used in making dye; the name later was transferred to a similar South American species. Brazil in reference to the wood is attested in English from late 14c. Complicating matters is Hy Brasil, a name applied by 1436 to one of the larger Azores Islands, later transferred to a legendary island or rock off the west coast of Ireland (sighted in 1791 at lat. 51° 10', long. 15° 58').

brazil in Culture

Brazil

Republic in eastern South America. It borders on every South American country except Chile and Ecuador. Its capital is Brasilia, and its largest city is São Paulo.

Note

The largest of the Latin-American countries, Brazil occupies almost half of South America.

Note

It is the world's leading coffee exporter.

Note

The only country in South America whose history was dominated by Portugal; it is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world.