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squalo

shark

noun SKWAH-loh Rare

Origin: From Latin squalus, a kind of sea fish.

Usage Note

Squalo is the standard zoological term for shark; the more colloquial pescecane (literally 'dog-fish') is also used. Figuratively, uno squalo refers to a ruthless, predatory person in business or finance — close to English 'shark.' The plural is squali.

Examples

"Abbiamo visto uno squalo durante l'immersione."

Natural Translation

We saw a shark during the dive.

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