Skip to content

cecchino

sniper

noun chehk-KEE-noh Rare

Origin: From the name Francesco (Cecchino is a diminutive) — jocular soldiers' slang

Also means

sharpshooter

Usage Note

Cecchino originally was a diminutive of Francesco used as ironic military slang; today it is the standard Italian word for a sniper or sharpshooter. The feminine cecchina exists but is very rare; in practice il cecchino is used generically. The plural cecchini is regular.

Examples

"Un cecchino appostato minacciava i soldati."

Natural Translation

A sniper in ambush threatened the soldiers.

Explore Italian by topic