pelo

From a contraction of the preposition per (“by means of, by way of”) + neuter singular article lo (“the”).

pelo n (masculine pel, feminine pela, masculine plural pelos, feminine plural peles)

1. by means of the

From Latin pilus.

pelo m (plural pelos)

1. hair (mass of hairs)
2. fur

• pelu

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈpɛ.lu]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ˈpɛ.lo]

pelo

1. first-person singular present indicative of pelar

Inherited from Spanish pelo (“hair”), from Latin pilus.

• IPA^(key): /ˈpelo/, [ˈpe.lo]
• Hyphenation: pe‧lo

pelo

1. (anatomy) hair

• pélo

From Romani pelo (“male”).

• IPA^(key): /pe.lo/

pelo m (plural pelos)

1. (slang) guy, fellow, bloke, chap, dude, boyfriend

   Synonyms: bougre, mec, gars, type

• IPA^(key): /ˈpelo/ [ˈpe.lʊ]
• Rhymes: -elo
• Hyphenation: pe‧lo

From Latin pilus. As with the Portuguese cognate pelo, the preservation of single /l/ in intervocalic position is irregular and may be the result of analogy with cabelo < Latin capillus.

pelo m (plural pelos)

1. hair (individual strand)

   Synonym: cabelo

2. hair (collectively, on the head)

   Synonym: cabelo

3. fur

   Synonyms: pelame, pelica

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “pelo”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “pelo”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “pelo”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

pelo

1. first-person singular present indicative of pelar

From Latin pellis.

pelo (plural peli)

1. skin

• IPA^(key): /ˈpe.lo/
• Rhymes: -elo
• Hyphenation: pé‧lo

From Latin pilus, from Proto-Indo-European *pil-.

pelo m (plural peli)

1. hair (on the body)
2. surface (of water)
3. fur (on the body)
4. (vulgar, slang) woman's pubic hair; vulva
5. (vulgar, offensive, slang) group of sexy womans

• capello

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

pelo

1. first-person singular present indicative of pelare

• olpe

pelo

1. heart

pelo

1. dog

From Old Galician-Portuguese pello, from Vulgar Latin *per (“by; through”) + *lo (“the”).

• Hyphenation: pe‧lo

pelo (feminine pela, masculine plural pelos, feminine plural pelas)

2. contraction of por o; by the; for the; through the

   Synonym: polo (archaic)

   • 2007, J. K. Rowling, Lia Wyler, Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte, Rocco, page 244:

     E os meus podem estar indo pelo mesmo caminho!

     And mine may be going through the same way!

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese pelo, from Latin pilus, from Proto-Indo-European *pil-. The retention of single Latin /l/ in intervocalic position is irregular and may be the product of analogy with the near-synonym cabelo < Latin capillus.^[1]

• pêlo (pre-1990 spelling)

• Rhymes: -elu
• Hyphenation: pe‧lo

pelo m (plural pelos)

2. hair (filament which grows on the skin of mammals), except hair on top of humans’ heads, which is called cabelo

   O adolescente ficou feliz quando viu nascer os primeiros pelos do seu bigode.

   The teenager was happy when he saw the first hairs of his moustache emerging.

4. hair; fur (an animal’s hair as a whole)

   Synonym: pelagem

   Preciso cortar o pelo do meu gato.

   I need to cut my cat’s hair.

6. (by extension, proscribed in the scientific context) any filament which grows on plants and non-mammals

   Synonyms: filamento, (non-mammals) cerda, (plants) tricoma

   Pelos de tarântula.

   Tarantula hair.

   Não toques no pelo de uma urtiga.

   Don’t touch a nettle’s hair.

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• Rhymes: -ɛlu
• Hyphenation: pe‧lo

pelo

2. first-person singular present indicative of pelar

pelo class 9/10 (plural dipelo)

1. heart

• IPA^(key): /ˈpelo/ [ˈpe.lo]
• Rhymes: -elo
• Syllabification: pe‧lo

Inherited from Latin pilus, from Proto-Indo-European *pil-. Compare English pile (“fine, short hair of certain animals”).

pelo m (plural pelos)

1. hair (a single hair)
2. hair (all hair on the head)

   Synonym: cabello

3. fur

   Synonyms: pelaje, piel

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

pelo

1. first-person singular present indicative of pelar

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

pelo

1. dog