relâmpago

See also: relampago and relámpago

Portuguese

Alternative forms

relâmpado (dialectal)

Etymology

Alteration of relâmpado, from re- +‎ lâmpado, from Latin lampada (“lamp”), from lampas, or through a derivative of Late Latin lampāre. The prefix re- indicates the idea of repetition, hence lightning striking over and over again. Compare Spanish relámpago.

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁeˈlɐ̃.pa.ɡu/ [heˈlɐ̃.pa.ɡu]
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ʁeˈlɐ̃.pa.ɡu/ [χeˈlɐ̃.pa.ɡu]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʁeˈlɐ̃.pa.ɡo/ [heˈlɐ̃.pa.ɡo]

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /ʁɨˈlɐ̃.pɐ.ɡu/ [ʁɨˈlɐ̃.pɐ.ɣu]

Hyphenation: re‧lâm‧pa‧go

Noun

relâmpago m (plural relâmpagos)

lightning (flash of light caused by the discharge of atmospheric electrical charge)
Synonyms: raio, relampagueamento, relampejo, relampo, alustro, alustre, alúmio

espalhar-se como um relâmpago ― to spread like wildfire (literally, “to spread oneself as a lightning bolt”)

Usage notes

Some authorities enforce a distinction in meaning between raio and relâmpago, such that the former refers specifically to a lightning bolt, while the latter refers to the flash of light stemming from it. This distinction is rarely made in common usage, and other commentators deem these words synonymous. A more common distinction is made with trovão, which refers only to thunder, the sound of lightning.

Derived terms

relâmpago globular

Related terms

Adjective

relâmpago (invariable)

(in hyphenated compounds) sudden and unexpected