brazil

IPA/brəˈzɪl/
KK[brəzˈɪl]IPA/brəˈzɪl/

brazil — noun

1. a country that covers a vast area of eastern South America, with the highest pop

1.nounA2
Definition

a country that covers a vast area of eastern South America, with the highest population of any nation on the continent, and Brasília as its capital city

Example

Ana saved money for two years to visit Brazil and explore the Amazon rainforest.

visit + [country] for tourism

Brazil exports coffee and soybeans to countries all over the world.

exports + [commodities] + to + [destination]

Grammar Patterns

always capitalized

Usage Note

Always capitalized as a proper noun. Often preceded by 'to', 'in', or 'from' when describing movement or location.

Common Mistakes

Brasilia is the country of Brazil.
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil.
Brasília is a city, not a synonym for the country.
I went to Brazil and saw the Amazon river.
I went to Brazil and saw the Amazon River.
'River' is part of the proper name and should be capitalized.

2. a large curved seed with a hard brown shell and soft white flesh inside, from a

2.nounB1
Definition

a large curved seed with a hard brown shell and soft white flesh inside, from a tall South American tree, eaten as food

Example

Wei cracked open three Brazil nuts and added them to the breakfast bowl.

collocation: crack open + Brazil nuts

Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, a mineral that helps keep the body healthy.

collocation: rich in [nutrient]

Common collocations
  • crack a Brazil nut
  • shell Brazil nuts
  • eat Brazil nuts
  • roasted Brazil nuts
  • raw Brazil nuts
Synonyms
  • Brazil nut

    the more common full name; 'brazil' alone is less frequent for the nut

Grammar Patterns

countable: a Brazil nut / Brazil nuts

Usage Note

Usually used in the plural form 'Brazil nuts' when referring to them as a food item. 'Brazil nut' is a common noun, but 'Brazil' in the name is still capitalized.

Common Mistakes

I bought some brazil nuts from the shop.
I bought some Brazil nuts from the shop.
'Brazil' in 'Brazil nut' is capitalized because it refers to the country of origin.
Brazil nuts come from a small plant.
Brazil nuts come from a very tall tree that grows in the Amazon rainforest.
The Brazil nut tree can grow over 50 metres tall.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico are three of the largest countries in Latin America, but they differ in language, size, and cultural identity. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and is by far the largest in both area and population. Argentina, which borders Brazil to the south, is Spanish-speaking and known for its beef, tango music, and the Andes mountains along its western edge. Mexico lies to the north in North America and is also Spanish-speaking, with a distinct cuisine and indigenous heritage shaped by Aztec and Maya civilizations. While all three countries are popular travel destinations with vibrant music and dance traditions, Brazil's Carnival and Amazon rainforest give it a unique identity that learners often associate with the word 'Brazil' first.

Brazil ↗ArgentinaMexico ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • the people of Brazil
  • the government of Brazil
  • Brazil nut

Prepositions

  • from Brazil
  • in Brazil
  • to Brazil
  • of Brazil

Etymology

PortugueseEnglish

The name 'Brazil' comes from the brazilwood tree (pau-brasil), whose wood produces a deep red dye. The Portuguese word 'brasa' means 'ember' or 'glowing coal', referring to the red colour of the wood. When Portuguese explorers arrived in the 1500s, they found the tree so abundant along the coast that they named the new land after it. The nut was named after the country because it originally came from the same region.