alcatrão

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic القَطْرَان (al-qaṭrān). Compare Spanish alquitrán.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aw.kaˈtɾɐ̃w̃/ [aʊ̯.kaˈtɾɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /al.kɐˈtɾɐ̃w̃/ [aɫ.kɐˈtɾɐ̃w̃]

• Hyphenation: al‧ca‧trão

Noun

alcatrão m (uncountable)

1. tar (resinous substance composed of liquid pitch, resin and oil or tallow)
2. (Portugal) asphalt (dark substance, with a liquid appearance and a strong smell, obtained from the distillation of certain resinous woods and coal, used in floor coverings)

   Synonym: asfalto

Derived terms

• alcatroar

Descendants

• → Bengali: আলকাতরা (alkatra)

Further reading

• “alcatrão”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “alcatrão”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025