Words With Portuguese Origins

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54 Words

1 Almeida A Portuguese surname.
2 amok In a wild, uncontrolled, or violent manner (usually in the phrase "run amok").
3 anil The indigo shrub, or the deep blue dye extracted from it.
4 atoll A ring-shaped coral island or string of islands surrounding a central lagoon.
5 Bahia A state in northeastern Brazil, with Salvador as its capital.
6 banyan A large Indian fig tree (Ficus benghalensis) whose branches send down aerial roots that grow into new trunks,...
7 Barbados An island nation in the Caribbean, formerly a British colony.
8 Bengal A historical and cultural region in South Asia, now split between the country of Bangladesh and the Indian sta...
9 Benin A country in West Africa, formerly known as Dahomey until 1975.
10 betel The leaf of a tropical vine chewed together with areca nut in parts of Asia.
11 Boi A style of Brazilian folk music from the central Amazon region, also known as bumba-meu-boi.
12 Bombay The former name of Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra.
13 Borneo A large island in Southeast Asia, shared between Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
14 Branco A Portuguese surname.
15 Brazil A large Portuguese-speaking country in South America; capital Brasília.
16 Cameroon A country in Central Africa whose capital is Yaoundé.
17 capoeira A Brazilian martial art that blends dance-like movements, acrobatics, and music.
18 emu A large flightless Australian bird, second only to the ostrich in height, with shaggy grey-brown feathers.
19 favela A densely populated, informal urban settlement, especially in Brazil, often lacking full access to public serv...
20 gama Short for gama grass, a tall wild grass used as forage.
21 grouper A large, heavy-bodied fish found in warm seas, popular both as a game fish and as food.
22 inga Any tree or shrub of the tropical genus Inga, common in Central and South America and often grown for shade or...
23 jaggery An unrefined, dark brown sugar made by boiling down palm or sugarcane sap, common in South and Southeast Asian...
24 jaguar A large spotted wild cat native to Central and South America, the biggest cat species in the Americas.
25 Japan An island nation in East Asia, whose capital is Tokyo.
26 Labrador A large, friendly breed of dog, originally bred as a retriever, popular as both a working and family dog.
27 Lagos The largest city in Nigeria and its former capital, also a city in southern Portugal.
28 leone The main unit of currency of Sierra Leone, divided into 100 cents.
29 Madeira A fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira, often used in cooking or served as a dessert wine.
30 mahogany A hard, reddish-brown tropical wood prized for furniture-making, or the tree it comes from.
31 mandarin The official language of China and Taiwan, the most widely spoken variety of Chinese.
32 mangal A swampy coastal ecosystem dominated by mangrove trees.
33 mango A tropical tree, or its sweet, juicy orange-fleshed fruit.
34 milo Sorghum, a cereal grass grown mainly for grain and animal feed.
35 mogo Cassava, a starchy root vegetable widely eaten in parts of Africa, the Caribbean, and South America.
36 mongoose A small, agile carnivorous mammal known for its speed and famous ability to kill venomous snakes.
37 Monsanto A surname of Portuguese origin, also historically the name of a major American agrochemical company.
38 Mozambique A country on the southeastern coast of Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, with its capital at Maputo.
39 palanquin An enclosed litter, carried on poles by bearers, historically used to transport a passenger.
40 porto Port wine, a sweet fortified wine, or a similar wine made in that style.
41 Portuguese Relating to Portugal, its people, or its culture.
42 rei A unit of old Portuguese currency, used before the escudo; plural was "réis."
43 Rodrigues A surname of Portuguese origin meaning "son of Rodrigo".
44 samba A lively Brazilian ballroom dance, or the style of dancing it.
45 Santos A port city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
46 Senegal A country in West Africa, officially the Republic of Senegal.
47 Siam The historical name of Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia, used until 1939.
48 Sumatra A large island in western Indonesia, one of the biggest islands in the world.
49 tank A large container built to hold a liquid or gas.
50 tapioca A starchy substance extracted from the cassava root, used to make puddings and drinks.
51 teak A very hard, durable wood from the teak tree, prized for furniture and shipbuilding.
52 tempura A Japanese dish of vegetables, seafood, or other ingredients coated in a light batter and deep-fried.
53 veranda A roofed, open-sided platform or porch attached to the outside of a house.
54 vindaloo A very hot, tangy curry made with meat marinated in vinegar, garlic, and chilli, originating in Goa.