brazil

[ bruh-zil ]
/ brəˈzɪl /

noun

brazilwood.

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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

Words nearby brazil

braze, brazelton, brazen, brazen-faced, brazier, brazil, brazil current, brazil nut, brazilein, brazilian, brazilian bikini wax

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM Brazil

Bra·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. 2020

Example sentences 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

Cultural 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.

notes for Brazil

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

notes for Brazil

It is the world's leading coffee exporter.

notes for Brazil

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.