peçonha

See also: peconha

Galician

Noun

peçonha f (plural peçonhas, reintegrationist norm)

1. reintegrationist spelling of pezoña

Further reading

• “peçonha” in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (2014).

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese peçonna, poçonna, poçõya, from Vulgar Latin *potionea, from Latin pōtiō (“drink”). Cognate of Spanish ponzoña, Galician pezoña and French poison. Doublet of poção.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /peˈsõ.ɲɐ/ [peˈsõ.j̃ɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /peˈsõ.ɲɐ/ [peˈsõ.j̃ɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /peˈso.ɲa/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɨˈso.ɲɐ/

• Hyphenation: pe‧ço‧nha

Noun

peçonha f (plural peçonhas)

1. (biology) venom (animal toxin delivered by a bite or sting)
2. (loosely) poison or toxin of any kind

   Synonyms: veneno, toxina

3. (figuratively) venom; malice; malevolence; vitriol

   Synonyms: malícia, malevolência, perversidade

Usage notes

In Biology, peçonha refers to what in English would be venom, while veneno refers to poison. Therefore, these are false friends.

Derived terms

• peçonhento

Further reading

• “peçonha” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “peçonha”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
• “peçonha”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025