balata

See also: balatą, balatá, and Bălata

English

Etymology

From Spanish balatá.

Noun

balata (countable and uncountable, plural balatas)

1. Manilkara bidentata, a large South American tree that yields latex and edible yellow berries.

   Synonyms: ausubo, massaranduba, bulletwood, bully tree, cow-tree

   • 2022, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, When We Were Birds, Hamish Hamilton, page 215:

     ‘She tall like a balata tree, her skin black like midnight.’

2. The latex obtained from this tree.

Translations

tree

• Aukan: boiti
• Dutch: balata (nl), bolletrie (nl) c
• French: balata m
• Finnish: balata
• Kari'na: parata
• Lokono: balata burue, burue, kurero burue
• Polish: balata f
• Saramaccan: baatá, botii
• Portuguese: balata f, maçaranduba f
• Spanish: balatá f
• Sranan Tongo: balata, boletri, botri

latex

• Polish: balata f
• Portuguese: balata f

timber

• Dutch: paardenvleeshout
• Finnish: balata

Anagrams

• albata, atabal

Finnish

Etymology

From Spanish balata.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɑlɑtɑ/, [ˈbɑ̝lɑ̝t̪ɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑlɑtɑ
• Syllabification^(key): ba‧la‧ta
• Hyphenation^(key): ba‧la‧ta

Noun

balata

1. balata (Manilkara bidentata)
2. bulletwood (timber from this tree)

Declension

Inflection of balata (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		balata	balatat
genitive		balatan	balatojen
partitive		balataa	balatoja
illative		balataan	balatoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		balata	balatat
accusative	nom.	balata	balatat
	gen.	balatan
genitive		balatan	balatojen balatain rare
partitive		balataa	balatoja
inessive		balatassa	balatoissa
elative		balatasta	balatoista
illative		balataan	balatoihin
adessive		balatalla	balatoilla
ablative		balatalta	balatoilta
allative		balatalle	balatoille
essive		balatana	balatoina
translative		balataksi	balatoiksi
abessive		balatatta	balatoitta
instructive		—	balatoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of balata (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative balatani balatani accusative nom. balatani balatani gen. balatani genitive balatani balatojeni balataini rare partitive balataani balatojani inessive balatassani balatoissani elative balatastani balatoistani illative balataani balatoihini adessive balatallani balatoillani ablative balataltani balatoiltani allative balatalleni balatoilleni essive balatanani balatoinani translative balatakseni balatoikseni abessive balatattani balatoittani instructive — — comitative — balatoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative balatasi balatasi accusative nom. balatasi balatasi gen. balatasi genitive balatasi balatojesi balataisi rare partitive balataasi balatojasi inessive balatassasi balatoissasi elative balatastasi balatoistasi illative balataasi balatoihisi adessive balatallasi balatoillasi ablative balataltasi balatoiltasi allative balatallesi balatoillesi essive balatanasi balatoinasi translative balataksesi balatoiksesi abessive balatattasi balatoittasi instructive — — comitative — balatoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative balatamme balatamme accusative nom. balatamme balatamme gen. balatamme genitive balatamme balatojemme balataimme rare partitive balataamme balatojamme inessive balatassamme balatoissamme elative balatastamme balatoistamme illative balataamme balatoihimme adessive balatallamme balatoillamme ablative balataltamme balatoiltamme allative balatallemme balatoillemme essive balatanamme balatoinamme translative balataksemme balatoiksemme abessive balatattamme balatoittamme instructive — — comitative — balatoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative balatanne balatanne accusative nom. balatanne balatanne gen. balatanne genitive balatanne balatojenne balatainne rare partitive balataanne balatojanne inessive balatassanne balatoissanne elative balatastanne balatoistanne illative balataanne balatoihinne adessive balatallanne balatoillanne ablative balataltanne balatoiltanne allative balatallenne balatoillenne essive balatananne balatoinanne translative balataksenne balatoiksenne abessive balatattanne balatoittanne instructive — — comitative — balatoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative balatansa balatansa accusative nom. balatansa balatansa gen. balatansa genitive balatansa balatojensa balatainsa rare partitive balataansa balatojaan balatojansa inessive balatassaan balatassansa balatoissaan balatoissansa elative balatastaan balatastansa balatoistaan balatoistansa illative balataansa balatoihinsa adessive balatallaan balatallansa balatoillaan balatoillansa ablative balataltaan balataltansa balatoiltaan balatoiltansa allative balatalleen balatallensa balatoilleen balatoillensa essive balatanaan balatanansa balatoinaan balatoinansa translative balatakseen balataksensa balatoikseen balatoiksensa abessive balatattaan balatattansa balatoittaan balatoittansa instructive — — comitative — balatoineen balatoinensa

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

Noun

balata m (plural balatas)

1. balata

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish balatá.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈla.ta/
• Rhymes: -ata
• Syllabification: ba‧la‧ta

Noun

balata f

1. (countable) balata (Manilkara bidentata)
2. (uncountable) balata (latex acquired from the tree)

Declension

Declension of balata

	singular	plural
nominative	balata	balaty
genitive	balaty	balat
dative	balacie	balatom
accusative	balatę	balaty
instrumental	balatą	balatami
locative	balacie	balatach
vocative	balato	balaty

Further reading

• balata in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /baˈla.tɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /baˈla.tɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /baˈla.ta/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /bɐˈla.tɐ/

• Hyphenation: ba‧la‧ta

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish balatá.

Noun

balata f (plural balatas)

1. balata (Manilkara bidentata)
2. balata (latex acquired from the tree)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian ballata. Doublet of balada.

Noun

balata f (plural balatas)

1. synonym of balada

Derived terms

• balateira
• balateiro

Further reading

• “balata”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “balata”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “balata”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “balata”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Sicilian

Etymology

Likely from Arabic بَلَاط (balāṭ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈla.t̪a/, [bːaˈla.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -ata
• Hyphenation: ba‧là‧ta

Noun

balata f (plural balati)

1. any large slab of stone, typically lava stone, limestone or marble.
2. (by extension) headstone

Derived terms

• balatazza
• balatuni
• scippari i balati

Descendants

• Italian: balata

See also

• lapazza
• marteḍḍu
• mattuni
• parpannizzu
• scarpeḍḍu

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baˈlata/ [baˈla.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -ata
• Syllabification: ba‧la‧ta

Noun

balata f (plural balatas)

1. brake lining

   Synonym: ferodo

See also

• zapata

Further reading

• “balata”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “balata”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From Kari'na parata

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /balata/, [ba̠la̠ta̠], [bɑ̟lɑ̟tɑ̟]

Noun

balata

1. balata (Manilkara bidentata)

   Synonym: boletri

2. latex, rubber (material)
3. waistbelt
4. bullwhip, rubber baton

Verb

balata

1. to bullwhip

Tagalog

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /baˈlataʔ/ [bɐˈlaː.t̪ɐʔ]
• Rhymes: -ataʔ
• Syllabification: ba‧la‧ta

Etymology 1

Noun

balatà (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜎᜆ) (obsolete)

1. leather collar put on hunting dogs

Derived terms

• balataan
• balatain
• ipagbalata
• magbalata

See also

• balatak

Etymology 2

Ultimately from Sanskrit व्रत (vrata, “obedience; any vow or firm purpose”).

Noun

balatà (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜎᜆ) (obsolete)

1. promise

   Synonyms: pangako, panata

2. abstinence from something in memory of someone

Derived terms

• magbalata
• pagbalataan

Further reading

• “balata”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018