The Purple Gallinule is a "swamp hen" in the rail family Rallidae. This is a medium-sized rail. The adult Purple gallinule has big yellow feet, purple-blue plumage with a green back, and red and yellow bill. It has a pale blue forehead shield and white undertail.

The Southern House Wren, (Troglodytes aedon), is a very small songbird of the wren family, Troglodytidae. House Wren species occurs from Canada to southernmost South America, and is thus the most widely distributed bird in the Americas. All subspecies have blackish barring to the wings and tail, and some also to the flanks. All subspecies show a faint eye-ring and eyebrow and have a long, thin bill with a blackish upper mandible, and a black-tipped yellowish or pale grey lower mandible. The legs are pinkish or grey. The short tail is typically held cocked. This bird's rich bubbly song is commonly heard during the nesting season but rarely afterwards. There is marked geographical variation in its song, though somewhat more gradual than in the birds' outward appearance which can strikingly differ e.g. on neighboring islands in the Caribbean. Birds from far north and south of the species' range nonetheless have songs that differ markedly.

A firefly; A beetle that produces a blinking yellow, orange, or red light via bioluminescence.

The Little Blue Heron is a small heron. It breeds from the Gulf states of the USA through Central America and the Caribbean south to Peru and Uruguay. It is a medium-large, long-legged, heron with a long pointed blue or greyish bill with a black tip.

The leafcutter ant; They get their name from the way they cut leaves from trees, which they then haul back to their nest. They do not eat the leaves, but instead they use it as compost to grow a particular type of fungus that does not grow anywhere other than in leafcutter ant nests. The ants eat the fungus, and feed it to their young. The fungus is grown in football sized chambers inside the nest. There can be 300 or more of these chambers inside the nest, and all of the earthworks to build them might involve the removal of 18,000kg of earth during the lifetime of the nest.

The American Kestrel. A small falcon, and the only kestrel found in the Americas.

A gecko often found in and around the ceilings of houses. The gecko makes a croaking sound.

A nocturnal, fruit eating bird that navigates by echolocation (like bats). They are mainly reddish-brown with white spots on the nape and wings. Lower parts are cinnamon-buff spotted with white. The stiff tail feathers are a rich brown spotted with white on either side. In the past, the fat chicks were boiled down as a source of oil.

The Wattled Jacana is a wader which is a resident breeder from western Panama and Trinidad south through most of South America east of the Andes. The jacanas are a group of wetland birds, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws that enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone.

The larval form of the lacewing group of insects. Also known as antlions, they are known primarily for the funnel shaped pits they make in dry soft dirt to trap ants.

The Blue-grey Tanager, it is a medium-sized South American songbird of the Tanager family, Thraupidae. Its range is from Mexico south to northeast Bolivia and northern Brazil, all of the Amazon Basin, except the very south. The Blue-grey Tanager is 16–18 cm (6.3-7.1 in) long and weighs 30-40 grams (1.1-1.4 oz.) Adults have a light bluish head and underparts, with darker blue upperparts and a shoulder patch colored a different hue of blue. The bill is short and quite thick. Sexes are similar, but the immature is much duller in plumage.

An edible species of armour plated catfish that grows up to 24.0 centimetres in length. Males grow to a larger average and maximum size than females and, during the reproductive season, develop fat deposits in the pectoral fin and an elongated recurved pectoral spine that often assumes a reddish colour.

Otaheite apple; Pear shaped fruit with red skin and white flesh. Typically, they contain a single large seed. However, they may occasionally be seedless. The fruit is sweet and is usually eaten raw or used to make drinks.

A banana variety known for small sweet fruit.

The berries and tree of Rivina humulis. The small shrub produces small, blood red berries.

A named mango cultivar that was made popular in the Caribbean. the cultivar is likely to have originated in Jamaica. The fruit is small, averaging less than a pound in weight at maturity. Skin color is green with some crimson blush. The fruit has a somewhat unique shape that is ovate with a distinctive flattened side. The flesh is juicy and not fibrous, with a deep yellow color and a very rich flavor. The tree is famous for its small dwarfing growth habit.

Fruit of the Vangueria madagascariensis tree which is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family native to the African continent having edible fruit. It is a large, orange fruit that is edible and often consumed locally.

The fruit of the Flacourtia indica which is a species of flowering plant native to much of Africa and tropical and temperate parts of Asia. The fruit itself is a pome about an inch thick and red ripening purple. It is very fleshy and has 6 to 10 seeds in layered carpels. The pulp is yellow or white and sweet with an acidic tang. It is eaten raw or made in to jelly or jam. It can be fermented to make wine.

Tree and fruit native to the Pacific Islands and Malaysia that was brought to the West Indies in the 18th century. The fruit is large with a rough green skin with small hexagonal markings. Some varieties have a spiky exterior. The flesh is white, cream coloured or yellow and has a high starch content. It is eaten boiled, roasted, or fried as a staple food.

Ziziphus Mauritania; A small round berry about 3/4 inches in diameter. The fruit is green and turns yellow as it ripens. Ripe fruit may occasionally develop a rust brown colour and a cracked texture. The unripe fruit is firm and slightly acidic, and grows softer and mushier when it ripens. The berries have a single hard seed.

Eggplant. A species of nightshade grown for its edible fruit.

Is a species of palm native to tropical regions of the Americas, from southern Mexico and the Caribbean south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. It grows to 15-20 m tall, with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter, characterized by numerous slender, black, viciously sharp 10 cm long spines jutting out from the trunk. The leaves are pinnate, 3-4 m long, with numerous slender, 50-100 cm long leaflets. Petioles of the leaves are also covered with spines. The flowers are small, produced on a large branched inflorescence 1.5 m long. The [w=banga]fruit[/w] is a yellowish-green drupe 2.5-5 cm in diameter, containing a single, dark brown, nut-like seed 2.5-5 cm diameter, which is very tough to break. The inside is a dry white filling that has a vaguely sweet taste when eaten.

Is a yellowish-green drupe 2.5-5 cm in diameter, containing a single, dark brown, nut-like seed 2.5-5 cm diameter, which is very tough to break. The inside is a dry white filling that has a vaguely sweet taste when eaten. Found on a species of [w=banga-tree]palm[/w] native to tropical regions of the Americas, from southern

The tree and fruit of Phyllanthus acidus. The intermediate sized tree produces small, flattened, multi-lobed, berries with a high acid content. The tart yellow berries are edible raw, but most often stewed with sugar, ginger and other spices.

A gourd that is used for utilitarian purposes, and not for food. The skin or shell of the large green fruit hardens to become wood-like when dry. The shell can then be carved and is used to make a variety of items including cups, and bowls and decorative pieces.

Canistel; A bright yellow ovoid fruit with a pointed tip. It is related to the sapodilla and is edible. The flesh tends to be dryer than other sapodillas and the texture is similar to that of a hardboiled egg yolk.

Morinda citrifolia otherwise known as 'Noni'. Foul smelling and bitter tasting fruit that commonly grows on small trees close to the sea. The fruit is initially green, but turns white or pale yellow upon ripening.

A [w=roti]roti[/w] where two layers are rolled out together and cooked on the [w=tawah]tawah[/w]. It is rubbed with oil while cooking. The layers are then separated making two thin rotis. This can be done with more layers.

The Giant Granadilla, it is the largest of the passionfruits, plants of the genus Passiflora. It is a perennial native of Tropical America, having smooth, cordate, ovate or acuminate leaves; petioles bearing from 4 to 6 glands; an emetic and narcotic root; scented flowers; and a large, oblong fruit, containing numerous seeds, imbedded in a subacid edible pulp.

A sweet treat made from diced coconuts, sugar and spices. The mixture is boiled until thick enough to set and harden when cool, then spoonfuls are dropped onto banana leaves or other flat surfaces.

Any starchy agricultural product used as food. Examples include, but are not limited to, yams, potatoes, bananas, cassava, pumpkins, and breadfruit.

A homemade frozen pop popular with children. It is made by pouring mixed drinks into small transparent plastic bags, tying the bags to seal them, and freezing. They are normally consumed by sucking a small hole bitten in one corner of the bag.

A hard, chewy, dark brown candy made from sugar, coconuts and ginger.

The tree and fruit of Terminalia catappa. It is a large tree (up to 115ft in height), often grown for ornamental purposes and the shade provided by its broad leaves. Parts of the fruit are edible, including the inner seed which resembles almonds in shape and taste.

A small green, bitter tasting berry. It is sometimes eaten alone after boiling or cooked with saltfish

A fried bread typically made from baking powder leavened dough.

A breakfast porridge made with cornmeal as a primary ingredient. It may also include milk, coconut milk, sugar, and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.

A round fruit about the size of a tennis ball. It has a glossy leathery skin that is either green, purple, or some combination of the two colours. Inside is a purple and white milky flesh that exhibits a distinct star pattern. The fruit is sweet and eaten raw

Seville orange; A thick skinned sour orange used for making beverages and marmalade.

A torpedo, oval, or pear shaped fruit. The fruit bears on a large leafed tree up to 10m tall. When green, it is cooked as if a vegetable. The flesh contains an enzyme named papain that serves as an effective meat tenderiser. When ripe it is yellowish-orange in colour. The flesh is bright orange, soft, and sweet. The insides are hollow containing a lots of seeds with each seed contained in a small liquid filled sac. The seeds and the fluid surrounding them have a bitter taste.

A person of East Indian ancestry. Most Caribbean people of East Indian descent can trace their roots back to indentured workers imported by the British in the 19th century after the abolition of slavery.

Person of mixed African and East Indian ancestry

A ritually prepared meal of rice intended to trap (tie) a man in a romantic relationship. Women prepare the meal by cooking rice and squatting over the steaming pot allowing the mix of condensation and bodily juices to "sweat" into the rice.

An individual whose partner commits infidelity and does not hide the signs. The individual, however, does not leave the relationship but instead tries to please their partner, who in turn ridicules him/her.

A man who has become foolish because of excessive love for a woman.

A man who obsessively seduces and deceives women. A promiscuous heterosexual male.

Any of several species of stinging nettle plants. Contact with human skin causes great discomfort.

Derogatory term for a person of ill repute.

An expression of shock, surprise, frustration, or annoyance.

A modifier used to intensify meanings of words.

A body part intended to be the target of a vicious, brutal blow.

An insertion or substitute for arbitrary words used to add forceful emphasis to expressions.

An exclamation of shock, surprise, anger, or frustration.

All cassava get same skin but all nah taste same way

Does anyone know the etymology, where it comes from? Backra and bekes (thaht we use in Guadalupe) are very close to, are they related?

Both Cassidy (Dictionary of Jamaican English) and Allsop (Dictionary of Caribbean English) say it's a form of the word for "white man" among the Efik people. The word is used throughout the English speaking Caribbean and among the Gullah/Geechee people of South Carolina. In modern Caribbean usage it refers to any person in authority; usually one's employer.

Bakra in Surnamese is white person from the Netherlands.

Bakra means white people. She fader dem a Bakra.

yes we say bakra in belize. it is also considered offensive to be called a backra. it's like saying your spoiled and white. mon yu de wan backra!

Bakra means white people. Suriname was a colony of the English first, before the English and Dutch signed a treaty and it was switched with the Dutch for Guyana. According to my grandma the word was already in existence, but Surinames call most white from the Netherlands bakra, they are the lnes who mostly came to the country.

Bakra actually mean (Back Raw) from when slave masters use to whip slaves over their back until the skin on their back were torn, so their skin became raw. thus came the name Bakra (Back Raw). So hence the name "Bakra Man" - Raw Back Man was the man doing the whipping. I was taught that by a wise old man about 60 years ago, I'm 68 now.

In surinam bakra just stand for white person wich started during time of colonisation of surinam then referring to the white slave owners but then became a word for the white people in general..

I remember hearing that it meant..if you're poor,you sat in the back row, thus backra

Any white person, particularly one in a position of power or authority.

A dictionary of Caribbean life. Here you can find words, definitions, pictures, proverbs and sayings.