gorilla

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.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɡəˈɹɪl.ə/, (dated) /ɡɒˈɹɪl.ə/^[1][2]
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɡəˈɹɪl.ə/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪlə
• Homophone: guerrilla

gorilla (plural gorillas)

2. The largest of the apes, belonging to the genus Gorilla, native to the forests of central Africa and known for their trait of knuckle-walking.
   • 1893, Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, volume 27, pages 133, 135:

     In three of these twenty gorillæ 14 ribs are present, and the additional rib in each of them is below. […] The conclusion that the usual place of commencement of the dorsal type in the gorilla is between the 12th and 13th dorsal vertebræ is founded on notes taken of this character in 13 of these gorillæ.

   • 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 129:

     “They are wicked people—neither white like you nor black like me, but covered with hair as is Bolgani, the gorilla. Yes, they are very bad people indeed, and Chowambi was glad to get out of their country.”

3. A big and brutish man or a thug; a goon or ruffian.
   • 1929, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, When the World Screamed‎^[1]:

     "I'll do the old gorilla the justice to say that he is open-handed with money."

4. (informal) A powerful person or organization; a heavyweight or behemoth.
   • 1977, Computerworld, volume 11, number 19, page 58:

     The two industry gorillas — IBM and AT&T — will get together to decide who will provide different communications services, Biddle stated.

• Godzilla
• Gorillai

• → Japanese: ゴリラ (gorira)
• → Korean: 고릴라 (gorilla)
• → Thai: กอริลลา (gɔɔ-rin-lâa)

Borrowed from Dutch gorilla or English gorilla.

gorilla (plural gorillas, diminutive gorillatjie)

1. gorilla, primate of the genus Gorilla.

Borrowed from translingual Gorilla.

• IPA^(key): /ˌɣoːˈrɪ.laː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: go‧ril‧la
• Rhymes: -ɪlaː

gorilla m (plural gorilla's, diminutive gorillaatje n)

1. gorilla, primate of the genus Gorilla

• berggorilla
• laaglandgorilla

From English gorilla, from Ancient Greek Γόριλλαι (Górillai).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡorilːɑ/, [ˈɡo̞rilːɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -orilːɑ
• Syllabification^(key): go‧ril‧la
• Hyphenation^(key): go‧ril‧la

gorilla

1. gorilla

• “gorilla”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

• IPA^(key): [ˈɡorilːɒ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: go‧ril‧la
• Rhymes: -lɒ

gorilla (plural gorillák)

1. gorilla
2. (figuratively) gorilla, muscleman, henchman

• gorilla in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Borrowed from Russian горилла (gorilla).

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈɡorilːɑ/, [ˈɡo̞riɫː]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈɡorilːɑ/, [ˈko̞riɫːɑ]
• Rhymes: -orilː, -orilːɑ
• Hyphenation: go‧ril‧la

gorilla

1. gorilla
   • 1937, V. A. Tetjurev, translated by N. J. Molotsova, Loonnontiito oppikirja alkușkoulua vart (toin osa), Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-Pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 62:

     Șimpanze ja gorilla elläät Afrikaas.

     The chimpanzee and the gorilla live in Africa.

• IPA^(key): /ɡoˈril.la/
• Rhymes: -illa
• Hyphenation: go‧rìl‧la

gorilla m (invariable)

1. gorilla
2. (derogatory) bodyguard

• Gallori

From Ancient Greek Γόριλλαι (Górillai, “a tribe of hairy women”).

gorilla m (definite singular gorillaen, indefinite plural gorillaer, definite plural gorillaene)

1. a gorilla

• “gorilla” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Ancient Greek Γόριλλαι (Górillai, “a tribe of hairy women”).

gorilla m (definite singular gorillaen, indefinite plural gorillaer or gorillaar, definite plural gorillaene or gorillaane)

1. a gorilla

• “gorilla” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

gorilla c

1. gorilla

   Vilket djur går sämst i djungeln? Svar: Gorilla (går illa).

   Which animal walks the worst [is the worst walker] in the jungle? Answer: Gorilla (walks poorly).

   Common punny children's riddle.

• orangutang
• schimpans

• gorilla in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• gorilla in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• gorilla in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

From Dutch gorilla.

• IPA^(key): /ɡoˈrɪ.la/
• Rhymes: -ɪla
• Hyphenation: go‧ril‧la

gorilla c (plural gorilla's)

1. gorilla
2. bodyguard (member of a personal bodyguard)

   Synonym: liifwacht

• “gorilla” at Frysker