tiririca

tiririca

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Tupi tyryryka (“a kind of invasive sedge”), lit. "that which drags or creeps".

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃi.ɾiˈɾi.kɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃi.ɾiˈɾi.kɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /t͡ʃi.ɾiˈɾi.ka/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ti.ɾiˈɾi.kɐ/

• (Northeastern Brazil) IPA^(key): /tiriˈrika/

Noun

tiririca f (plural tiriricas)

1. any herb of the family Cyperaceae
   • 17th century, Gregório de Matos, Crônica do Viver Baiano Seiscentista:

     Nunca soube fazer verso,
     senão como tiririca,
     porque como ela é, que pica,
     e corta todo o universo[…]

     He has never known how to make poetry
     that is not like the sedge,
     which by its nature stings
     and runs through the whole universe[…]

2. (Brazil) Cyperus rotundus, a specific herb of that family
3. white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), a hog-like animal species found in Central and South America

   Synonyms: queixada, queixada-ruiva, queixo-ruivo, canela-ruiva, sabacu, sabucu, tacuité, taiaçu, tajaçu, tanhaçu, tanhocati, taguicati, porco-do-mato, pecari

4. (Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, slang) pickpocket; a minor thief

   Synonyms: trombadinha, batedor de carteira

5. (Brazil, Pará) a wild agitation of a river's waters

Adjective

tiririca m or f (plural tiriricas)

1. (Brazil, colloquial) angry; annoyed; furious

   Synonyms: irritado, furioso, raivoso