Bra·zil (br -z l ) A country of eastern South America. The largest country in the continent, it was ruled by Portugal from 1500 to 1822, when it became a separate empire ruled by Pedro I, son of King John VI of Portugal. A republic was established in 1889. Brasília has been the capital since 1960; São Paulo is the largest city. Population: 190,000,000. Bra·zil i·an adj. & n.Word History: The name Brazil is derived from the Portuguese and Spanish word brasil, the name of an East Indian tree with reddish-brown wood from which a red dye was extracted. The Portuguese found a New World tree related to the Old World brasil tree when they explored what is now called Brazil, and as a result they named the New World country after the Old World tree. The word brasil is cognate with French brésil, Old French berzi and bresil, Old Italian verzino, and Medieval Latin brezellum, brasilium, bresillum, braxile. The many Latin forms suggest a non-Latin, non-Romance origin, as in an East Indian term. |   |
brazil, brasil [brəˈzɪl]
n
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) 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
2. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Dyeing) the red or purple dye extracted from any of these woods See also brazilin
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) short for brazil nut
[from Old Spanish brasil, from brasa glowing coals, of Germanic origin; referring to the redness of the wood; see braise]
Brazil [brəˈzɪl]
n
(Placename) 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.: 172 118 000 (2001 est.). Area: 8 511 957 sq. km (3 286 470 sq. miles)
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Brazil - the largest Latin American country and the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world; located in the central and northeastern part of South America; world's leading coffee exportermacumba - (Brazil) followers of a religious cult of African origin OAS, Organization of American States - an association including most countries in the western hemisphere; created in 1948 to promote military and economic and social and cultural cooperation Triple Frontier - the border area where Argentina and Brazil and Paraguay meet; an active South American center for contraband and drug trafficking and money laundering; a suspected locale for Islamic extremist groups Acre - a territory of western Brazil bordering on Bolivia and Peru Belem, Feliz Lusitania, Santa Maria de Belem, St. Mary of Bethlehem, Para - port city in northern Brazil in the Amazon delta; main port and commercial center for the Amazon River basin Belo Horizonte - city in southeastern Brazil to the north of Rio de Janeiro; the first of Brazil's planned communities Brasilia, Brazilian capital, capital of Brazil - the capital of Brazil; a city built on the central plateau and inaugurated in 1960 Curitiba - a city in southeastern Brazil Joao Pessoa - a city in northeastern Brazil near the Atlantic Ocean to the north of Recife Governador Valadares - a city in eastern Brazil to the northeast of Belo Horizonte Limeira - a city of southeastern Brazil (northwest of Sao Paulo) Natal - a port city in northeastern Brazil Rio, Rio de Janeiro - the former capital and 2nd largest city of Brazil; chief Brazilian port; famous as a tourist attraction Pernambuco, Recife - a port city of northeastern Brazil on the Atlantic Santos - a port city in southwestern Brazil on an offshore island near Sao Paulo Sao Bernardo do Campo - a city in southeastern Brazil; an industrial suburb of Sao Paulo Sao Goncalo - an industrial city in southeastern Brazil across the bay from Rio de Janeiro Sao Joao de Meriti - a city in southeastern Brazil that is a residential suburb of Rio de Janeiro Sao Jose dos Campos - a city in southeastern Brazil to the northeast of Sao Paulo Sao Louis - a city on an offshore island in northeast Brazil Sao Paulo - an ultramodern city in southeastern Brazil; the largest city in South America Amazon River, Amazon - a major South American river; arises in the Andes and flows eastward into the South Atlantic; the world's 2nd longest river (4000 miles) Araguaia, Araguaia River, Araguaya, Araguaya River - a river in central Brazil that flows generally northward (with many falls) to join the Tocantins River Iguassu, Iguassu Falls, Iguazu, Iguazu Falls, Victoria Falls - a large waterfall on the border between Argentina and Brazil Madeira, Madeira River - a Brazilian river; tributary of the Amazon River Para River, Para - an estuary in northern Brazil into which the Tocantins River flows Parana, Parana River - a South American river; tributary of Rio de la Plata Parnahiba, Parnaiba - a river in northeastern Brazil that flows generally northward to the Atlantic Ocean Paulo Afonso, Paulo Afonso Falls - a major waterfall in northeastern Brazil Purus, Purus River - a Brazilian river; tributary of the Amazon River Sao Francisco - a river in eastern Brazil flowing into the Atlantic Ocean South America - a continent in the western hemisphere connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama Tocantins, Tocantins River - a river in eastern Brazil that flows generally north to the Para River Urubupunga, Urubupunga Falls - a waterfall in the Parana river in Brazil Brazilian - a native or inhabitant of Brazil |
| 2. | brazil - three-sided tropical American nut with white oily meat and hard brown shell edible nut - a hard-shelled seed consisting of an edible kernel or meat enclosed in a woody or leathery shell |
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