# bicha
## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bi.ʃa/
* Homophones: bichas, bichât

### Verb

bicha
* third-person singular past historic of bicher

## Galician
### Alternative forms

* becha

### Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese bescha (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin bēstia or Vulgar Latin bestula.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbit͡ʃa/ [ˈbi.t͡ʃɐ]
* Rhymes: -itʃa
* Hyphenation: bi‧cha

### Noun

bicha f (plural bichas)
* leech
    Synonym: samesuga
* snake, serpent
    Synonyms: cóbrega, serpe, víbora
* mare
    Synonyms: besta, egua

#### Derived terms

* bicha cadela

### References

* Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “bescha”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “besch”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “bicha”, 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), “bicha”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “bicha”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN
* ↑ Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “bicho”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critic Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos

## Guinea-Bissau Creole
### Etymology

From Portuguese bicha. Cognate with Kabuverdianu bitchu.

### Noun

bicha
* worm

## Portuguese
### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈbi.ʃɐ/
* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈbi.ʃɐ/
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /ˈbi.ʃa/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈbi.ʃɐ/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈbi.ʃɐ/
** (Northern Portugal) IPA: /ˈbi.t͡ʃɐ/
* Hyphenation: bi‧cha

### Etymology 1

From Vulgar Latin bīstia, variant of Latin bēstia. Doublet of besta. Sense of "homosexual" possibly influenced by English bitch.

#### Noun

bicha f (plural bichas)
* worm (any of several legless, elongated creatures), especially:
    Synonym: verme
** roundworm (intestinal parasite)
    Synonym: lombriga
** (dated) leech (bloodsucking parasite)
    Synonym: sanguessuga
** (dated) snake; serpent
    Synonyms: cobra, serpente
* (by extension) an elongated or writhing object or structure
** (Portugal) queue; line
    Synonym: fila
*** 1984, Ana Maria Magalhães, Isabel Alçada, Uma aventura na cidade, 19th edition, Editorial Caminho, published 2012, →ISBN, page 28:A empregada bem gritava com eles: — Ou se põem em bicha ou não atendo ninguém! Mas a bicha era sempre um magote de gente aos encontrões, todos a tentarem ser atendidos primeiro.The employee yelled at them: “form a line or I won’t serve anybody!” But the line was always a bunch of people bumping into each other, all trying to be served first.
** (obsolete) serpentine (coiled distillation tube)
    Synonym: serpentina
** a type of firework that moves randomly on the ground
** a flexible tube
** (obsolete) a type of earring shaped like a snake
** (obsolete) a small boat used by customs officers
* (uncommon) female equivalent of bicho (a female animal)
* (colloquial) ascariasis (infection by Ascaris roundworms)
    Synonym: ascaridíase

#### Noun

bicha f or m (plural bichas)
* (LGBTQ, colloquial, usually derogatory) flamer; fairy; fag; poofter (a male homosexual, especially one who behaves flamboyantly or affectedly)
** 2006, Jaguar, Sergio Augusto, O Pasquim: 1969-1971, número 1 ao 150, Editora Desiderata, page 171:Diz que ele é bicha mas eu não acredito porque um dia eu vi ele beijando uma moça muito bonita.People say he’s a poof but I don’t believe it because one day I saw him kissing a really pretty lady.

##### Derived terms

* bicha louca

#### Adjective

bicha m or f (plural bichas, comparable, comparative mais bicha, superlative o mais bicha or bichíssimo)
* (often derogatory) flaming (gay, homosexual, especially when behaving flamboyantly or affectedly)

##### Usage notes

This word, like many others associated with marginalized social groups, can be seen used as a derogatory and/or offensive term, as well as a neutral term of adressment by members of LGBT+ groups, as a result of reappropriation.

##### Related terms

* bicho, besta

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

bicha
* inflection of bichar:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

### Further reading

* bicha on the Portuguese Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{pt}$

## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbit͡ʃa/ [ˈbi.t͡ʃa]
* Rhymes: -itʃa
* Syllabification: bi‧cha

### Noun

bicha f (plural bichas)
* beer, brew
    Synonym: cerveza
* cocaine paste
    Synonym: pasta de cocaína

#### See also

* mentar la bicha

### Further reading

* “bicha”, 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

## Vilamovian
### Pronunciation

* Hyphenation: bi‧cha
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

bicha f
* beech (tree)