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.

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