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barraco

[ba-ˈrra-ku]
nounmasculinepl: barracos
shack, hovel, crude dwelling
1. A small, poorly built house or shelter, typically made of scrap materials
He lived in a barraco on the outskirts of the city.
Ele vivia em um barraco nas periferias da cidade.
2. A temporary or improvised structure; a makeshift shelter
The workers built a barraco to store their tools.
Os trabalhadores construíram um barraco para guardar suas ferramentas.
3. A mess or dilapidated place
The apartment looked like a barraco after the party.
O apartamento parecia um barraco depois da festa.
NYC Slang
tenement, shack, crib
Synonyms
cabanachoupanatugúriocortiçocasarão
Antonyms
mansãopaláciocasarão luxuoso

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
barraco
Most common usage, referring to slums and poor housing
Rio de Janeiro
barraco
Strongly associated with favela housing and informal settlements
São Paulo
barraco
Used similarly to Rio, common in urban periphery contexts
Portugal
casarão/tugúrio
Less common in Portugal; Portuguese prefer alternative terms

Related Idioms & Phrases

morar em um barraco - to live in poverty
que barraco! - what a mess!
virar barraco - to become messy or chaotic
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