bicha

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi.ʃa/
• Homophones: bichas, bichât

Verb

bicha

1. third-person singular past historic of bicher

Galician

Christianized serpe or bicha of Gondomil, a winged serpent sculpture of unknown chronology, Gondomil, Galica

Alternative forms

• becha

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese bescha (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin bēstia or Vulgar Latin bestula.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbit͡ʃa/ [ˈbi.t͡ʃɐ]
• Rhymes: -itʃa
• Hyphenation: bi‧cha

Noun

bicha f (plural bichas)

1. leech

   Synonym: samesuga

2. snake, serpent

   Synonyms: cóbrega, serpe, víbora

3. mare

   Synonyms: besta, egua

Derived terms

• bicha cadela

 

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “bescha”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “besch”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “bicha”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “bicha”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “bicha”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Guinea-Bissau Creole

Etymology

From Portuguese bicha. Cognate with Kabuverdianu bitchu.

Noun

bicha

1. worm

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbi.ʃɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbi.ʃɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbi.ʃa/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbi.ʃɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbi.ʃɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbi.t͡ʃɐ/

• Hyphenation: bi‧cha

Etymology 1

From Vulgar Latin bīstia, variant of Latin bēstia. Doublet of besta. Sense of "homosexual" possibly influenced by English bitch.

Noun

bicha f (plural bichas)

1. worm (any of several legless, elongated creatures), especially:

   Synonym: verme

   1. roundworm (intestinal parasite)

      Synonym: lombriga

   2. (dated) leech (bloodsucking parasite)

      Synonym: sanguessuga

   3. (dated) snake; serpent

      Synonyms: cobra, serpente

2. (by extension) an elongated or writhing object or structure
   1. (Portugal) queue; line

      Synonym: fila

      • 1984, Ana Maria Magalhães, Isabel Alçada, Uma aventura na cidade, 19th edition, Editorial Caminho, published 2012, →ISBN, page 28:

        A empregada bem gritava com eles: — Ou se põem em bicha ou não atendo ninguém! Mas a bicha era sempre um magote de gente aos encontrões, todos a tentarem ser atendidos primeiro.

        The employee yelled at them: “form a line or I won’t serve anybody!” But the line was always a bunch of people bumping into each other, all trying to be served first.

   2. (obsolete) serpentine (coiled distillation tube)

      Synonym: serpentina

   3. a type of firework that moves randomly on the ground
   4. a flexible tube
   5. (obsolete) a type of earring shaped like a snake
   6. (obsolete) a small boat used by customs officers
3. (uncommon) female equivalent of bicho (a female animal)
4. (colloquial) ascariasis (infection by Ascaris roundworms)

   Synonym: ascaridíase

Noun

bicha f or m (plural bichas)

1. (LGBT, colloquial, usually derogatory) flamer; fairy; fag; poofter (a male homosexual, especially one who behaves flamboyantly or affectedly)
   • 2006, Jaguar, Sergio Augusto, O Pasquim: 1969-1971, número 1 ao 150, Editora Desiderata, page 171:

     Diz que ele é bicha mas eu não acredito porque um dia eu vi ele beijando uma moça muito bonita.

     People say he’s a poof but I don’t believe it because one day I saw him kissing a really pretty lady.

Derived terms

• bicha louca

Adjective

bicha m or f (plural bichas, comparable, comparative mais bicha, superlative o mais bicha or bichíssimo)

1. (often derogatory) flaming (gay, homosexual, especially when behaving flamboyantly or affectedly)

Related terms

• bicho, besta

Usage notes

This word, like many others associated with marginalized social groups, can be seen used as a derogatory and/or offensive term, as well as a neutral term of adressment by members of LGBT+ groups, as a result of reappropriation.

Etymology 2

Verb

bicha

1. inflection of bichar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• bicha on the Portuguese Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^pt

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbit͡ʃa/ [ˈbi.t͡ʃa]
• Rhymes: -itʃa
• Syllabification: bi‧cha

Noun

bicha f (plural bichas)

1. beer, brew

   Synonym: cerveza

2. cocaine paste

   Synonym: pasta de cocaína

See also

• mentar la bicha

 

Further reading

• “bicha”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Vilamovian

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: bi‧cha

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

bicha f

1. beech (tree)