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gorilla

gorilla

noun goh-REEL-lah Rare

Origin: From the Greek name Gorillai for a hairy tribe; adopted as a species name in 1847.

Also means

bodyguard (informal)

Usage Note

Gorilla is masculine in Italian (il gorilla), despite ending in -a. The plural is gorilla (invariable), following the pattern of other nouns ending in -a that are masculine loanwords or foreign borrowings. Informally, gorilla also means a bodyguard or heavy in Italian slang, just as in English.

Examples

"Il gorilla al parco naturale ha sorpreso tutti."

Natural Translation

The gorilla at the nature park surprised everyone.

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