arapuca

Portuguese

Uma arapuca

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Tupi ûyrá puka (“bird trap”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ɾaˈpu.kɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ɾaˈpu.kɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ɾaˈpu.ka/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.ɾɐˈpu.kɐ/

• Rhymes: -ukɐ
• Hyphenation: a‧ra‧pu‧ca

Noun

arapuca f (plural arapucas)

1. (Brazil) a type of trap, used to catch birds or other small animals

   Synonyms: arataca, urupuca, (trap) armadilha, cilada

2. (Brazil, figurative) any trick designed to catch someone in a general sense; a trap

   Synonym: armadilha

   Aha! Ela caiu na minha arapuca!

   Aha! She fell for my trap!

Further reading

• “arapuca”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2024