esquentar
/es.kẽnˈtaɾ/
Definition
To heat something up, or to become warm. Often used for warming food, drinks, or the weather getting hotter.
Example
Vou esquentar o feijão antes do almoço.
Show translation
I'm going to heat up the beans before lunch.
Etymology
From Portuguese quente ("hot"), derived from Latin calentem (accusative of calens, "being warm"), with the prefix es- (from Latin ex-) used as an intensifier or verbalizer. The verb essentially means "to make hot."
Cultural note
Esquentar is deeply embedded in Brazilian kitchen life — reheating yesterday's rice and beans (arroz e feijão) is a daily ritual in most homes. The word also appears in common figurative expressions: "esquentar a cabeça" (to stress out or overthink) and "esquentar o banco" (to warm the bench, i.e., to sit on the sidelines in sports). Note that European Portuguese speakers more commonly use aquecer for the same meanings, so esquentar is a useful marker of Brazilian speech.