| academia | capoeira school |
| aluno | student of a capoeira master; same as discipulo |
| Angola | a traditional style of capoeira |
| Angoleiro | a practitioner of the Angola style |
| arame | metal string on the berimbau |
| arrastao | capoeira takedown, pulling both legs from under an opponent |
| ataque | attacking move or movement initiative |
| aú | cartwheel |
| aviso | a berimbau rythmn, formerly used to warn players of a police raid |
| Axe | the life force, fascilitated with the power of the Orishas. Also can be defined as grace. The word is of Yoruban origin New |
| balanço | part of the basic capoeira move (ginga);torso rocks forward and back as the weight shifts |
| bamba | someone adept at verbal or physical sparring;capoeira expert |
| banda | movement to trip or flank an opponent |
| barravent | a berimbau rythmn; refers to a prepossesion trance state |
| base | base, the ginga, the fundamental movement |
| batizado | the capoeira initiation ceremony; baptism |
| bênção | blessing; a front kick |
| berimbau | lead instrument in capoeira, a musical bow |
| bôca de siri | 'crab's mouth' movement |
| brincar | to play like a child |
| cabaça | gourd used as the resonator on the berimbau |
| cabeçada | head butt |
| camará | comrade; capoeira college |
| capoeirista | a capoeira player |
| cavalaria | 'cavalry,' a berimbau rhythm formerly used to warn of a police raid |
| caxixí | woven rattle played with the berimbau |
| chamada | 'call,' a named subroutine of capoeira play,the basic kind of inner game |
| chula | special introductory song, always follows ladainha |
| chute na lua | 'kick to the moon', A salto, started with a kick (meia-lua de frente, martelo). Sweep the kicking leg up backwards and make a salto |
| cocorinha | squatting movement |
| comprar de jôgo | to buy a game, entering the circle by cutting in on another player |
| contragolpe | counterattack to respond to an initiative |
| contramestre | an instructor working under a master's guidance in an academy |
| cordão | colored belt awarded to mark grades of advancement in some academies |
| corridos | call and response songs accompanying action in the circle |
| dá volta ao mundo | 'take a turn around the world', a named subroutine of play that involves circling the ring |
| defesa | defensive move or movement response |
| desequilibrante | movement that unbalances the opponent |
| discípulo | disciple, student of a capoeira master |
| dobrão | coin used to play the berimbau |
| esquiva | escape movement |
| fechar o corpo | to close the body |
| floreios | acrobatic movements |
| formatura | graduation ceremony for a new capoeira master |
| fuga | flight, a catagory of defensive movements |
| ginga | the fundamental capoeira movement |
| golpe | strike or blow; attacking movement |
| iaiá, ioiô | terms used by slaves for daughters and sons of the master |
| jogador | player |
| jogar | to play games |
| jôgo | game |
| ladainha | litany, and introductory solo, usually sung by a master |
| ligeiro | swift, quick; nimble, agile; slippery, dishonest |
| maculêlê | another martial arts dance to music, involving rhythmic stick play |
| malandragem | hooliganism, shady activities; synonym for capoeira play |
| malandro | street tough, hoodlum, scoundrel, con man,bad guy |
| malícia | deception, trickery, cunning, double-dealing, indirection |
| mandigueiro | sorceror; healer; synonym for capoeira player |
| mangangá | medicine man |
| martelo | 'hammer' kick; a rhymed song form |
| meia-lua de compasso | 'half moon in a compass,' a spinning kick |
| mestre | master, senior capoeira teacher |
| mocambo | fugitive slave community |
| moeda | coin used to play the berimbau |
| moleque | street urchin |
| nome de guerra | nickname given to a player in the course of his training, sometimes as part of a batizado initiation |
| pandeiro | tambourine |
| passada | footwork, especially in the ginga |
| patuá | protective amulet |
| pé | 'foot', position in front of the berimbau |
| pião | 'spinning top,' headspin (no hands) |
| queda | fall, basic way to lose advantage in the game |
| queda de etc. | 'fall to etc.', Add more specific movements; queda de rins, queda de quatro, queda de tres. |
| quilombo | fugitive slave community |
| rabo de arraia | 'stingray's tail' kick |
| rasteira | sweep; the basic takedown |
| reco-reco | ribbed bamboo scraper in capoeira musical ensemble |
| recuo | retreat move, usually with one hand on the ground |
| Regional | innovative, modern style of capoeira, associated with Mestre Bimba |
| roda | circle; space for playing capoeira |
| saída | exit, most formal way to enter ring; one 'exits' from the foot of the berimbau |
| salto mortal | mortal jump New |
| samba duro | hard samba, involves tripping people while dancing |
| seqüência | sequence of moves learned by players in Regional style |
| rimada | A spinning queixada kick |
| rocar | to play music |
| vadiação | loafing, hanging around; synonym for capoeira |
| vaqueta | stick used to strike the string of the berimbau |
| vara | wooden pole that is the body of the berimbau |
| vêrga | wooden pole that is the body of the berimbau |
| voo doo morcego | bet fly |
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