caribe

See also: Caribe and Ca-ri-bê

English

Etymology

From Spanish caribe.

Noun

caribe (plural caribes)

1. piranha fish

References

• “caribe”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Craibe, cabrie

Spanish

Etymology

From a Taíno or Kalinago term corresponding to karifuna (“Kalinago person”) in modern Kalinago, a borrowing from a Cariban language, ultimately from Proto-Cariban *karipona (“person”). Compare Kari'na karìna (“Carib person”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈɾibe/ [kaˈɾi.β̞e]
• Rhymes: -ibe
• Syllabification: ca‧ri‧be

Adjective

caribe m or f (masculine and feminine plural caribes)

1. Cariban, belonging to one of the Carib peoples or relating to their cultures and languages
2. Caribbean
3. (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela) hot, spicy (of food)
4. (Dominican Republic) hot, very warm

   sol caribe ― hot sun

Noun

caribe m (plural caribes)

1. (Colombia, Venezuela) a piranha

   Synonym: piraña

Descendants

• Latin: Caribaeus

Further reading

• “caribe”, 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
• “caribe”, 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
• Seco, Manuel; Andrés, Olimpia; Ramos, Gabino (2023), “caribe”, in Diccionario del español actual (in Spanish), third digital edition, Fundación BBVA