Ga ‧ ma, Vas ‧ co da /ˈɡɑːmə, ˈvæskəʊ də $ ˈvɑːs-/ BrE AmE
(?1469–1524) a Portuguese sailor and ↑ explorer who was the first European to discover the way to India by sea. This made it possible for the Portuguese to trade with India and the Far East, which made Portugal one of the richest trading nations of that period.