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6 Portuguese Terms We Wish Existed in EnglishSometimes we’re at a loss for words, not because we’re speechless, but because no English term lends itself to the situation (or snack) at hand. At those times, we turn to other languages, celebrating them for the concepts we wish we could express so easily in English. Here are some of our favorite words from the Portuguese language. Saudade This untranslatable Portuguese term refers to …
Nearby words
brazelton, brazen, brazen-faced, brazenly, brazier, brazil, brazil current, brazil nut, brazilein, brazilian, brazilian bikini wax
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
Definition for brazil (2 of 2)
Brazil
[ bruh-zil ]
/ brəˈzɪl /
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 forms
Bra·zil·ian [bruh-zil-yuh n] /brəˈzɪl yən/, adjective, nounpro-Bra·zil·ian, adjective, nounpseu·do-Bra·zil·ian, adjective, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for brazil
British Dictionary definitions for brazil (1 of 2)
brazil
brasil
/ (brəˈzɪl) /
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
British Dictionary definitions for brazil (2 of 2)
Brazil
/ (brəˈzɪl) /
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
Culture definitions for brazil
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.