"nigga" meaning in English

See nigga in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈnɪɡə/ Audio: En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg [Northern-California, US] Forms: niggas [plural], niggaz [plural]
Rhymes: -ɪɡə Etymology: From nigger, coming from dialects of the English language which are non-rhotic. Etymology templates: {{m|en|nigger}} nigger Head templates: {{en-noun|s|niggaz}} nigga (plural niggas or niggaz)
  1. (offensive, ethnic slur, vulgar, dated) Pronunciation spelling of nigger. Tags: alt-of, dated, ethnic, offensive, pronunciation-spelling, slur, vulgar Alternative form of: nigger Translations (ethnic slur): neger [masculine] (Dutch), nekru (Finnish), nègre [masculine] (French), negro [masculine] (Italian), црнчуга (crnčuga) [feminine] (Macedonian), crioulo [Brazil, masculine] (Portuguese), preto [masculine] (Portuguese), негр (negr) (Russian), negro [masculine] (Spanish), negrito [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-nigga-en-noun-xBAOF1Vk Categories (other): English ethnic slurs, English pronunciation spellings, English entries with incorrect language header, English swear words Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 28 9 20 22 21 Disambiguation of English swear words: 33 9 19 18 21 Disambiguation of 'ethnic slur': 31 8 22 19 20
  2. (vulgar, slang, often offensive, but also often used affectionately in African-American Vernacular) A close and loyal friend. Tags: offensive, often, slang, vulgar
    Sense id: en-nigga-en-noun-P9mLt-vb Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English
  3. (vulgar, slang, often offensive, but tolerated in African-American Vernacular) A black person (usually a male friend), especially an African American. Tags: offensive, often, slang, vulgar Synonyms (a friend, a black man): nigger, nizzle, homie
    Sense id: en-nigga-en-noun-mEzEoEKZ Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English Disambiguation of 'a friend, a black man': 9 17 40 15 19
  4. (vulgar, slang, often offensive, chiefly African-American Vernacular) Any person, though chiefly male. Tags: offensive, often, slang, vulgar
    Sense id: en-nigga-en-noun-x-5MLJOT Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English
  5. (vulgar, slang, often offensive, but tolerated in African-American Vernacular) A male as opposed to a female. Tags: offensive, often, slang, vulgar
    Sense id: en-nigga-en-noun-mG4H7Ftx Categories (other): African-American Vernacular English, English entries with language name categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 21 8 18 19 34
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: niggah, nigguh, nikka, nikkah, niqqa, nugga Derived forms: house nigga, niggacide, nigga nod, niggatry, side nigga Related terms: nounnucca

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for nigga meaning in English (7.8kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "house nigga"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "niggacide"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "nigga nod"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "niggatry"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "side nigga"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nigger"
      },
      "expansion": "nigger",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From nigger, coming from dialects of the English language which are non-rhotic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "niggas",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "niggaz",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "s",
        "2": "niggaz"
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      "expansion": "nigga (plural niggas or niggaz)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "nounnucca"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "nigger"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English ethnic slurs",
          "parents": [
            "Ethnic slurs",
            "Offensive terms",
            "Terms by usage"
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          "source": "w"
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        {
          "_dis": "28 9 20 22 21",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "33 9 19 18 21",
          "kind": "other",
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            "Vulgarities",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Pronunciation spelling of nigger."
      ],
      "id": "en-nigga-en-noun-xBAOF1Vk",
      "links": [
        [
          "ethnic",
          "ethnic"
        ],
        [
          "slur",
          "slur"
        ],
        [
          "Pronunciation spelling",
          "pronunciation spelling"
        ],
        [
          "nigger",
          "nigger#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(offensive, ethnic slur, vulgar, dated) Pronunciation spelling of nigger."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "dated",
        "ethnic",
        "offensive",
        "pronunciation-spelling",
        "slur",
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "neger"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "word": "nekru"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "nègre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "negro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "crnčuga",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "црнчуга"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "tags": [
            "Brazil",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "crioulo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "preto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "negr",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "word": "негр"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "negro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "31 8 22 19 20",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "ethnic slur",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "negrito"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "African-American Vernacular English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I'd never betray you, cuz you my nigga, man.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A close and loyal friend."
      ],
      "id": "en-nigga-en-noun-P9mLt-vb",
      "qualifier": "but also often used affectionately in African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(vulgar, slang, often offensive, but also often used affectionately in African-American Vernacular) A close and loyal friend."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "offensive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "African-American Vernacular English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "As soon as I walked into the class and saw that sea of white faces, I felt alone, so I sat next to the only other nigga there.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Chunichi, The Return of a Gangster's Girl, page 26",
          "text": "\"I mean, if you're not interested, it ain't nothing but a thang, baby girl. Just let a nigga know.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A black person (usually a male friend), especially an African American."
      ],
      "id": "en-nigga-en-noun-mEzEoEKZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "black",
          "black"
        ],
        [
          "African American",
          "African American"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "but tolerated in African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(vulgar, slang, often offensive, but tolerated in African-American Vernacular) A black person (usually a male friend), especially an African American."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "9 17 40 15 19",
          "sense": "a friend, a black man",
          "word": "nigger"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 17 40 15 19",
          "sense": "a friend, a black man",
          "word": "nizzle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "9 17 40 15 19",
          "sense": "a friend, a black man",
          "word": "homie"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "offensive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "African-American Vernacular English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "White niggas be like, this is too spicy.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "All these freshman niggas are so annoying.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "These niggas out here bein' fake.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 August 20, Kelefa Sanneh, quoting Fatimah Nyeema Warner, “Noname’s Ambivalent, Triumphant Comeback”, in The New Yorker, →ISSN",
          "text": "“I can sit here and talk about the industrial complex all day long,” she said. “But niggas don’t look up until I say ‘Rihanna.’ Which isn’t right, to use those things. But that’s what people pay attention to.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any person, though chiefly male."
      ],
      "id": "en-nigga-en-noun-x-5MLJOT",
      "links": [
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "chiefly African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(vulgar, slang, often offensive, chiefly African-American Vernacular) Any person, though chiefly male."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "offensive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "African-American Vernacular English",
          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 8 18 19 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2003, “If I Can't”, in Curtis Jackson (lyrics), Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo (music), Get Rich or Die Tryin', performed by 50 Cent, New York City: Shady Records",
          "text": "Niggas on my dick more than my bitches.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, “Ryder Music”, in Curtis Jackson (lyrics), Tony Cottrell (music), The Massacre, performed by 50 Cent, New York City: Shady Records",
          "text": "I read somewhere I'm homophobic. Shit, go through the hood. There's mad niggas on my dick.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A male as opposed to a female."
      ],
      "id": "en-nigga-en-noun-mG4H7Ftx",
      "qualifier": "but tolerated in African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(vulgar, slang, often offensive, but tolerated in African-American Vernacular) A male as opposed to a female."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "offensive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈnɪɡə/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪɡə"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c4/En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg/En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Northern-California",
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Northern California, US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "niggah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "nigguh"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "nikka"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "nikkah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "niqqa"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "nugga"
    }
  ],
  "word": "nigga"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English nouns with irregular plurals",
    "English swear words",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Requests for review of Punjabi translations",
    "Requests for review of Serbo-Croatian translations",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪɡə"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "house nigga"
    },
    {
      "word": "niggacide"
    },
    {
      "word": "nigga nod"
    },
    {
      "word": "niggatry"
    },
    {
      "word": "side nigga"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "nigger"
      },
      "expansion": "nigger",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From nigger, coming from dialects of the English language which are non-rhotic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "niggas",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "niggaz",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "nounnucca"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "nigger"
        }
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      "categories": [
        "English dated terms",
        "English ethnic slurs",
        "English offensive terms",
        "English pronunciation spellings",
        "English vulgarities"
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      "glosses": [
        "Pronunciation spelling of nigger."
      ],
      "links": [
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        [
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          "slur"
        ],
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          "Pronunciation spelling",
          "pronunciation spelling"
        ],
        [
          "nigger",
          "nigger#English"
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(offensive, ethnic slur, vulgar, dated) Pronunciation spelling of nigger."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "dated",
        "ethnic",
        "offensive",
        "pronunciation-spelling",
        "slur",
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    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "English offensive terms",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English vulgarities"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I'd never betray you, cuz you my nigga, man.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A close and loyal friend."
      ],
      "qualifier": "but also often used affectionately in African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(vulgar, slang, often offensive, but also often used affectionately in African-American Vernacular) A close and loyal friend."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "offensive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "English offensive terms",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English vulgarities"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "As soon as I walked into the class and saw that sea of white faces, I felt alone, so I sat next to the only other nigga there.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Chunichi, The Return of a Gangster's Girl, page 26",
          "text": "\"I mean, if you're not interested, it ain't nothing but a thang, baby girl. Just let a nigga know.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A black person (usually a male friend), especially an African American."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "black",
          "black"
        ],
        [
          "African American",
          "African American"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "but tolerated in African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(vulgar, slang, often offensive, but tolerated in African-American Vernacular) A black person (usually a male friend), especially an African American."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "offensive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "English offensive terms",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English vulgarities"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "White niggas be like, this is too spicy.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "All these freshman niggas are so annoying.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "These niggas out here bein' fake.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 August 20, Kelefa Sanneh, quoting Fatimah Nyeema Warner, “Noname’s Ambivalent, Triumphant Comeback”, in The New Yorker, →ISSN",
          "text": "“I can sit here and talk about the industrial complex all day long,” she said. “But niggas don’t look up until I say ‘Rihanna.’ Which isn’t right, to use those things. But that’s what people pay attention to.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any person, though chiefly male."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "chiefly African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(vulgar, slang, often offensive, chiefly African-American Vernacular) Any person, though chiefly male."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "offensive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "African-American Vernacular English",
        "English offensive terms",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English vulgarities"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2003, “If I Can't”, in Curtis Jackson (lyrics), Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo (music), Get Rich or Die Tryin', performed by 50 Cent, New York City: Shady Records",
          "text": "Niggas on my dick more than my bitches.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, “Ryder Music”, in Curtis Jackson (lyrics), Tony Cottrell (music), The Massacre, performed by 50 Cent, New York City: Shady Records",
          "text": "I read somewhere I'm homophobic. Shit, go through the hood. There's mad niggas on my dick.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A male as opposed to a female."
      ],
      "qualifier": "but tolerated in African-American Vernacular",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(vulgar, slang, often offensive, but tolerated in African-American Vernacular) A male as opposed to a female."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "offensive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈnɪɡə/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪɡə"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c4/En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg/En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/En-us-ncalif-nigga.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Northern-California",
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Northern California, US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "a friend, a black man",
      "word": "nigger"
    },
    {
      "sense": "a friend, a black man",
      "word": "nizzle"
    },
    {
      "sense": "a friend, a black man",
      "word": "homie"
    },
    {
      "word": "niggah"
    },
    {
      "word": "nigguh"
    },
    {
      "word": "nikka"
    },
    {
      "word": "nikkah"
    },
    {
      "word": "niqqa"
    },
    {
      "word": "nugga"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "neger"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "word": "nekru"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "nègre"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "negro"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "crnčuga",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "црнчуга"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "tags": [
        "Brazil",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "crioulo"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "preto"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "negr",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "word": "негр"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "negro"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "ethnic slur",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "negrito"
    }
  ],
  "word": "nigga"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.