alforreca

Portuguese

Etymology

From Arabic الحُرَّيْقَة (al-ḥurrayqa, “the nettle”), via Andalusian Arabic. Compare Maltese ħurrieq.

Pronunciation

  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /al.fuˈʁɛ.kɐ/ [aɫ.fuˈʁɛ.kɐ]

  • Hyphenation: al‧for‧re‧ca

Noun

alforreca f (plural alforrecas) (Portugal)

  1. (zoology) jellyfish
    Synonyms: (Brazil) água-viva, medusa
  2. (figurative, uncommon) something inconsistent or unpleasant
    • 2014 July 21, Miguel Esteve Cardoso, “Nem por isso”, in Público‎[1]:
      O "nem por isso" é a alforreca das respostas negativas. O que mais enfurece nela é a falta não-absoluta de significância.
      The "not really" is the jellyfish of negative answers. What is most infuriating about it is the non-absolute lack of significance.
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