capro

goat (male)

noun KAH-proh Rare

Origin: From Latin caper (he-goat).

Also means

billy goat

Usage Note

Il capro is specifically a male goat (billy goat); the generic or female goat is la capra. Capro is most frequently encountered in the fixed phrase capro espiatorio ('scapegoat') — it is rarely used alone outside that idiom in modern Italian. Plural: i capri.

Examples

"Il capro espiatorio porta le colpe degli altri."

Natural Translation

The scapegoat bears the blame of others.

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