sertão

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Portuguese sertão. === Noun === sertão (plural sertãos or sertões) (geography) The semi-arid, barren inland portion of northeastern Brazil. (loosely) A similarly arid area in another region or country. === Anagrams === astore, oaters, orates, osetra == Portuguese == === Alternative forms === certão (obsolete) sertam (obsolete) === Etymology === Uncertain, possible shortening of desertão (“big desert”) (which is from deserto +‎ -ão). Alternatively, possibly from Latin sertānus. Another hypothesis suggests borrowing from Kimbundu muxitu or muchitum, first adapted into Portuguese as "muceltão" and later evolving into its modern form === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -ɐ̃w̃ Hyphenation: ser‧tão === Noun === sertão m (countable and uncountable, plural sertões) (geography) The semi-arid, barren inland portion of northeastern Brazil. (loosely) A similarly arid area in another region or country. (Brazil) countryside, backlands or outback ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “sertão”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “sertão”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026 “sertão”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 “sertão”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN