siluro

torpedo

noun see-LOO-roh Rare

Origin: From Latin silurus (a large freshwater fish), later applied to the self-propelled weapon.

Usage Note

Siluro is the standard Italian word for the self-propelled underwater weapon, but it doubles as the name for the European catfish (siluro d'acqua dolce). The plural is regular: i siluri. In informal usage, siluro can mean a devastating blow or dismissal — ha ricevuto un siluro ('he got the axe').

Examples

"Il sottomarino ha lanciato un siluro."

Natural Translation

The submarine launched a torpedo.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Italian Question Words: Chi, Cosa, Dove, Quando & More

Master Italian question words: chi, cosa, dove, quando, perché, come, quanto and quale. A usage-first guide that finally sorts che vs cosa vs quale.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

How to Order Coffee in Italy Like a Local

Order coffee in Italy like a local: say un caffè (not espresso), pay at the cassa first, drink al banco, and skip the latte trap. Phrases inside.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

ItalianNow

Avere Fame: Why Italians "Have" Hunger, Not "Are"

In Italian you say Ho fame (I have hunger), never sono fame. Learn the avere + noun rule for fame, freddo, paura, age, and the sono caldo trap to avoid.

June 5, 2026 5 min read