vaca

See also: vacă, vacã, vàca, and vācā

English

Alternative forms

• vacay

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈveɪkeɪ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

vaca (countable and uncountable, plural vacas)

1. (slang) Alternative spelling of vacay.

Anagrams

• AACV, Cava, cava

Aragonese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaka/
• Rhymes: -aka
• Syllabification: va‧ca

Etymology 1

From Latin vacca.

Noun

vaca f (plural vacas)

1. cow

Derived terms

• vacal (“leather”)

Related terms

• vacariza (“pasture for cattle”)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Alternative forms

• vaga

Noun

vaca f (plural vacas)

1. strike (work stoppage)

Derived terms

• fer vaca (“to go on strike”)

References

• “huelga”, in Aragonario, diccionario castellano–aragonés (in Spanish)
• “vaca”, in Aragonario, diccionario castellano–aragonés (in Spanish)

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin vacca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaka/ [ˈba.ka]
• Rhymes: -aka
• Syllabification: va‧ca

Noun

vaca f (plural vaques)

1. cow

Catalan

Etymology 1

Inherited from Latin vacca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [ˈba.kə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈva.kə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈva.ka]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [ˈba.ka]

• Audio (Valencia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aka
• Homophone: baca

Noun

vaca f (plural vaques)

1. cow
2. torpedo (ray of the genus Torpedo)

   Synonyms: tremolosa, torpede

3. painted comber (fish of species Serranus scriba)

   Synonyms: serrana, vaca serrana

Further reading

• “vaca”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “vaca”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026
• “vaca” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “vaca”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Etymology 2

Verb

vaca

1. inflection of vacar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish vaca (“cow”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: va‧ca

Noun

vaca

1. cow

Dalmatian

Alternative forms

• baka, vacca, baca, bacca

Etymology

From Latin vacca (“cow”). Compare Italian vacca, Spanish vaca.

Noun

vaca f

1. cow

Fala

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-Europeander.?

Latin vacca

Old Galician-Portuguese vaca

Fala vaca

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese vaca, from Latin vacca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaka/
• Rhymes: -aka
• Syllabification: va‧ca

Noun

vaca f (plural vacas)

1. cow

Further reading

• Valeš, Miroslav (2021), Diccionariu de A Fala: lagarteiru, mañegu, valverdeñu (web)‎^[1], 2nd edition, Minde, Portugal: CIDLeS, published 2022, →ISBN

Galician

Vacas

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-Europeander.?

Latin vacca

Old Galician-Portuguese vaca

Galician vaca

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese vaca, from Latin vacca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaka/ [ˈbɑ.kɐ]
• Rhymes: -aka
• Hyphenation: va‧ca

Noun

vaca f (plural vacas)

1. cow
2. (fishing) trawler

Derived terms

• Bacariza
• Cabeza da Vaca
• Cabeza de Vaca
• Pena Vaqueira
• Penavaqueira
• Vacariza
• Vaqueira
• Vaqueiro
• vaqueiro
• vaqueriza

See also

• almallo
• becerro
• boi
• touro
• xato

References

• “vaca”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “vaca”, in DIGALEGO - Dicionario de Galego (in Galician), Ir Indo; Xunta de Galicia, 2013 [2004]
• Antón Santamarina, editor (2006–2013), “vaca”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “vaca”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026
• Antón Santamarina, Ernesto X. González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “vaca”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “vaca”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈva.ka/
• Rhymes: -aka
• Hyphenation: và‧ca

Verb

vaca

1. inflection of vacare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• cava

Latgalian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈvat͡sa]
• Hyphenation: va‧ca

Adjective

vaca

1. inflection of vacs:
   1. indefinite genitive singular masculine
   2. indefinite nominative singular feminine

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈwa.kaː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈvaː.ka]

Verb

vacā

1. second-person singular present active imperative of vacō

Macanese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-Europeander.?

Latin vacca

Old Galician-Portuguese vaca

Portuguese vacader.

Macanese vaca

Derived from Portuguese vaca, from Old Galician-Portuguese vaca, from Latin vacca.

Noun

vaca

1. cow
2. beef

   vaca chacháu margoso ― beef stir-fried bitter melon

   vaca minchi ― minced beef

   champurâ vaca com brêdo ― to stir-fry beef with vegetables

Derived terms

• bode-vaca (“a strapping lad”, literally “billy goat cow”)

Adjective

vaca

1. (figurative, of women) corpulent, large

   unga nhônha bem di vaca ― a very large lady

   ela assí vaca ― she is so large

References

• https://www.macaneselibrary.org/pub/english/uipatua.htm#v

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-Europeander.?

Latin vacca

Old Galician-Portuguese vaca

Inherited from Latin vacca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈβa.ka/

Noun

vaca f (plural vacas)

1. cow

Descendants

• Fala: vaca
• Galician: vaca
• Portuguese: vaca (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• Ferreiro, Manuel (2014–2026), “vaca”, in Universo Cantigas: edición crítica da poesía medieval galego-portuguesa [Universo Cantigas: critical edition of Galician-Portuguese medieval poetry] (in Galician), A Coruña: University of A Coruña, →ISSN
• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “vaca”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “vaca”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• 𑀯𑀘 (Brahmi script)
• वच (Devanagari script)
• ৰচ (Bengali script)
• වච (Sinhalese script)
• ဝစ or ဝၸ (Burmese script)
• วจ or วะจะ (Thai script)
• ᩅᨧ (Tai Tham script)
• ວຈ or ວະຈະ (Lao script)
• វច (Khmer script)
• 𑅇𑄌 (Chakma script)

Etymology 1

Noun

vaca n or m

1. alternative citation form of vacas
2. vocative singular of vacas

Etymology 2

Noun

vaca ?

1. Pali root vac (root)
   • c. 500 AD, Kaccāyana, Pālivyākaraṇaṃ [Pali Grammar]‎^[2] (overall work in Pali), page 291; republished as Satish Chandra Acharyya Vidyabhusana, editor, Kaccayana's Pali Grammar (edited in Devanagari character and translated into English), Calcutta, Bengal: Mahabodhi Society, 1901:

     वचवसवहादीनं उकारो वस्स ये ॥६॥
     वच, वस, वह इच्चेवमादीनं धातूनं वकारस्स उकारो होति य पच्चये परे । उच्चते, वुच्चति; वुस्सति; वुय्हति ॥

     6. Vacavasavahādīnaṃ ukāro vassa ye
     Vaca, vasa, vaha iccevamādīnaṃ dhātūnaṃ vakārassa ukāro hoti ya paccaye pare.Uccate, vuccate; vussati; vuyhati.

     Vac, vas, vah etc. which have 'u' for 'va'
     Roots vac, vas, vah and so on etc. have 'u' from 'va' next to the ending 'ya'.
     Exx: uccate, vuccate; vussati; vuyhati.

Piedmontese

Etymology

From Latin vacca

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvaka/

Noun

vaca f (plural vache)

1. cow

Portuguese

vaca

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈva.kɐ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈva.kɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈva.kɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈba.kɐ/

• Rhymes: -akɐ
• Hyphenation: va‧ca

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-Europeander.?

Latin vacca

Old Galician-Portuguese vaca

Portuguese vaca

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese vaca, from Latin vacca.

Alternative forms

• vacca (pre-reform spelling)

Noun

vaca f (plural vacas)

1. a cow
   • 1938, Graciliano Ramos, “Inverno [Winter]”, in Vidas Seccas [Barren Lives]‎^[3], Rio de Janeiro: Livraria José Olympio Editora, pages 101-102:

     As gotteiras pingavam, os chocalhos das vaccas tiniam, os sapos cantavam.

     The leaks dripped, the cows' bells jingled, and the frogs croaked.

2. beef (meat)
3. (offensive, sexist) a promiscuous woman; a bitch
4. (offensive, sexist) a bitch (a disagreeable woman)

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:vadia

Derived terms

• tempo das vacas gordas
• vaca-fria
• vaca-marinha
• vaqueiro
• vaquinha

Related terms

• vacina
• vaquita-marinha

Descendants

• Kabuverdianu: báka
• Papiamentu: baka
• → Kadiwéu: waaca

See also

• bezerro
• boi
• novilho
• touro
• vitelo

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

vaca

1. inflection of vacar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

References

• “vaca”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “vaca”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026
• “vaca”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “vaca”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Romanian

Noun

vaca f

1. definite nominative/accusative singular of vacă

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaka/ [ˈba.ka]

• Audio (Spain):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aka
• Syllabification: va‧ca
• Homophone: baca

Etymology 1

vaca

Inherited from Latin vacca.

Noun

vaca f (plural vacas)

1. cow (adult female of the species Bos taurus)
2. beef

   Synonyms: vacuno, res

3. leather

   Synonym: cuero de vaca

4. (derogatory, informal) cow (woman considered unpleasant, particularly one considered fat)
5. (Chile) collection

   Synonym: recaudación

Derived terms

• caca de vaca
• caña de vaca
• carne de vaca
• casa de vacas
• casco de vaca
• como una vaca
• corral de vacas
• costilla de vaca
• el día que las vacas vuelen
• enfermedad de las vacas locas
• hacerse la vaca
• lengua de vaca
• leña de vaca
• pezuña de vaca
• tanto peca el que mata a la vaca como el que le agarra la pata
• teta de vaca
• trigo de vaca
• uña de vaca
• vaca de San Antón
• vaca del aguardiente
• vaca lechera
• vaca loca
• vaca marina
• vaca sagrada
• vacas flacas
• vacas gordas
• vaquera
• vaquería
• vaquero
• vaquilla
• vaquita
• ve de vaca

Descendants

Descendants

• → Alabama: waaka
• → Asi: baka
• → Aymara: waka
• → Binukid: baka
• → Bolinao: baka
• → Cebuano: baka
• → Central Bikol: baka
• → Chickasaw: waaka'
• → Chamicuro: waka
• → Chamorro: guaka
• → Cherokee: ᏩᎦ (waga), ᏩᎧ (waka)
• → Choctaw: waak
• → Classical Guarani: mbacá, bacá
  • Paraguayan Guarani: vaka
• → Hiligaynon: baka
• → Ilocano: baka
• → Kagayanen: baka
• → Kavalan: baka
• → Limos Kalinga: baka
• → Mapudungun: waka
• → Northern Catanduanes Bikol: baka
• → Quechua: baka
• → Tagalog: baka
• → Tetelcingo Nahuatl: böca
• → Waray-Waray: baka
• ⇒ Spanish: vacas pl
  • → Chol: wakax
  • → Ch'orti': wakax
  • → Classical Nahuatl: huācax
  • → Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: huacax
  • → K'iche': wakäx
  • → Navajo: béégashii
  • → Pipil: wakash
  • → Tzeltal: wakax
  • → Yucatec Maya: wakax

Adjective

vaca f

1. feminine singular of vaco

Etymology 2

Verb

vaca

1. inflection of vacar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

See also

• becerro
• ganado
• santa vaca
• ternero
• toro
• vacuno

Further reading

• “vaca”, 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

Anagrams

• cava

Venetan

Etymology

From Latin vacca

Noun

vaca f (plural vache)

1. cow