'Brazil' originates from Portuguese, specifically the word 'Brasil', where 'pau-brasil' meant 'ember tree' (a tree that yields a red dye, likened to glowing embers).

'Brazil' was first used for the valuable red-tinged wood called 'pau-brasil' in Portuguese; the name was then applied to the region where the wood was found and eventually to the country, passing through Portuguese usage ('Brasil') into modern English as 'Brazil'.

Initially, it referred to the brazilwood itself ('pau-brasil'); over time its meaning shifted to the place associated with that wood and finally to the modern nation 'Brazil'.