1. Language: Portuguese is a Romance language spoken by about 257 million people worldwide, primarily in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and other former Portuguese colonies.
2. Nationality: Portuguese refers to a person who is a citizen of Portugal.
3. Adjective: Portuguese can be used as an adjective to describe something related to Portugal, its people, or its language. For example: "Portuguese cuisine" or "Portuguese literature."
4. Noun: It can also refer to the people of Portugal, as a collective noun. For example, "The Portuguese are known for their hospitality."
5. Specific things: "Portuguese" can also refer to specific things, such as the Portuguese water dog breed, or the Portuguese Man o' War, a venomous marine organism.
To understand the specific meaning of "Portuguese" in a given context, it's important to consider the surrounding words and the overall sentence structure.