gorilla
/ɡəˈɹɪl.ə/ noun
Forms gorillas golira
- noun An ape of the genus Gorilla; endemic to the forests of Central Africa and typified by superlative physical size and strength in relation to other primates.
- noun A big and brutish man or a thug; a goon or ruffian.
- noun (informal) A powerful person or organization; a heavyweight or behemoth.
- noun (slang, UK, Australia) 1000 pounds sterling or dollar.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Γόριλλαι (Górillai, “Gorillai (a tribe of hairy women)”), described by Hanno the Navigator, a Carthaginian navigator and possible visitor to the area that later became Sierra Leone; the Greek word is likely from Punic, and ultimately from an African language.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A large, arboreal, anthropoid ape of West Africa. It is larger than a man, and is remarkable for its massive skeleton and powerful muscles, which give it enormous strength. In some respects its anatomy, more than that of any other ape, except the chimpanzee, resembles that of man.
Etymology [An African word; found in a Greek translation of a treatise in Punic by Hanno, a Carthaginian.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “gorilla”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details