mequetrefe

Portuguese

Etymology

From meco (“dissolute man”) + trefe (“mischievous”), first element from Latin moechus (“adulterer, fornicator”), second element of unknown origin.(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Or, possibly of shared origin with Spanish mequetrefe by borrowing from Arabic مُخَطْرِف (muḵaṭrif, “raving”).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /me.keˈtɾɛ.fi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /me.keˈtɾɛ.fi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /me.keˈtɾɛ.fe/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mɨ.kɨˈtɾɛ.fɨ/

• Hyphenation: me‧que‧tre‧fe

Noun

mequetrefe m (plural mequetrefes)

1. (colloquial) bum, loiterer (pejorative for a person perceived to be lazy)

Further reading

• “mequetrefe”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024
• “mequetrefe”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese mequetrefe, or possibly from Arabic مُخَطْرِف (muḵaṭrif, “raving”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mekeˈtɾefe/ [me.keˈt̪ɾe.fe]
• Rhymes: -efe
• Syllabification: me‧que‧tre‧fe

Noun

mequetrefe m or f by sense (plural mequetrefes)

1. (colloquial) bum, loiterer (pejorative for a person perceived to be lazy)
   • 2015 September 25, “La caza del león”, in El País‎^[1]:

     Los anuncios presentan fotos macabras de bellos leones ensangrentados junto al mequetrefe que acaba de matarlos con un rifle enorme en la mano, acompañado del cazador profesional que con frecuencia lo reemplaza en el disparo.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2020, “Mequetrefe”, in KiCk i, performed by Arca:

     Mami, quiere mequetrefe / Ella se lo merece

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Further reading

• “mequetrefe”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10