gamba

How to say it

Meaning

A hard outer covering, such as the scales of a fish or reptile, the shell of a crab, the husk of a fruit or the bark of a tree. Kujivua gamba, to shed one’s skin as a snake does, is also used of a party renewing itself.

Good to know

Ji/ma class noun, plural magamba: magamba ya samaki, fish scales. In Tanzanian politics kujivua gamba means to purge or reform.

Examples

• Nyoka hujivua gamba mara kadhaa kwa mwaka.A snake sheds its skin several times a year.
• Ondoa magamba ya samaki kabla ya kupika.Remove the fish scales before cooking.
• Gamba la kaa ni gumu sana.The shell of a crab is very hard.