brazil

¹

[ bruh-zil ]

noun

1. brazilwood.

Brazil

²

[ bruh-zil ]

noun

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

brazil

¹

/ brəˈzɪl /

noun

1. Also calledbrazil wood the red wood obtained from various tropical leguminous trees of the genus Caesalpinia , such as C. echinata of America: used for cabinetwork
2. the red or purple dye extracted from any of these woods See also brazilin
3. short for brazil nut

Brazil

²

/ brəˈzɪl /

noun

1. 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)

Brazil

1. 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

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 Words From

• an·ti-Bra·zil·ian adjective noun
• Bra·zil·ian [br, uh, -, zil, -y, uh, n], adjective noun
• pro-Bra·zil·ian adjective noun
• pseu·do-Bra·zil·ian adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brazil¹

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; braise

Word History and Origins

Origin of brazil¹

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

Example Sentences

The tour is set to close in November 2025 with four stops in Brazil.

From Los Angeles Times

Navaornis lived approximately 80 million years ago in what is now Brazil, before the mass extinction event that killed all non-avian dinosaurs.

From BBC

Brazil's Supreme Court has been evacuated and a man has been found dead after two explosions were heard outside the building on Wednesday evening.

From BBC

Many leaders are taking the view that progress is more likely at next year’s COP30 in Brazil.

From BBC

He is yet to give any hint about his decision, with reports of approaches from Brazil and also England before the FA appointed Thomas Tuchel.

From BBC