gorilla

[ guh-ril-uh ]

noun

1. a terrestrial, largely vegetarian great ape of the genus Gorilla , inhabiting central African forests: possessing great upper body strength, with arms longer and more muscular than its legs, it is noted for its knuckle-walking and is larger than any other living primate. Cross River gorilla, eastern gorilla, eastern lowland gorilla, mountain gorilla, western gorilla, western lowland gorilla.
2. an ugly, brutish person.
3. Slang. a hoodlum or thug, especially one who threatens or inflicts violence:

   Like any mob boss, he sent his gorillas to do the dirty work.

4. Disparaging and Offensive. (used as a slur against a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, especially a Black person.)

gorilla

/ ɡəˈrɪlə; ɡəˈrɪlaɪn /

noun

1. the largest anthropoid ape, Gorilla gorilla, inhabiting the forests of central W Africa. It is stocky and massive, with a short muzzle and coarse dark hair
2. informal.
   a large, strong, and brutal-looking man

Sensitive Note

See simianization.

Derived Forms

• goˈrilla-ˌlike, adjective
• goˈrilloid, adjective
• goˈrillian, adjective

Other Words From

• go·ril·la·like adjective
• go·ril·li·an adjective
• go·ril·line [g, uh, -, ril, -ahyn, -in], adjective
• go·ril·loid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gorilla¹

First recorded in 1845–50; from New Latin, from Greek Goríllās (accusative plural) name for the females of a hairy tribe encountered in an account of a voyage along the coast of Africa made by the Carthaginian Hanno in the 5th century b.c.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gorilla¹

C19: New Latin, from Greek Gorillai, an African tribe renowned for their hirsute appearance

Example Sentences

Francine Patterson is the animal psychologist who became famous for training Koko the gorilla to communicate using what she called “Gorilla Sign Language.”

From Washington Post

BlackRock, Wall Street’s 800-pound gorilla, is putting climate change risk at the center of its investing strategy.

From Quartz

The San Diego Zoo’s description of an October incident when gorillas in an exhibit got into a rumble and broke a layer of the window glass separating the animals from peopleEven the gorillas are sick of this year.

From Voice of San Diego

He’s the 900-pound gorilla when it comes to the Republican Party.

From Washington Post

As she imaged more and more, “I started to get a feel for the difference between human and gorilla hearts,” says Kutinsky.

From Science News For Students

Sitting up there at that little spindly-legged organ, he looked enormous, bigger than life, like a gorilla at a harpsichord.

From The Daily Beast

Then twelve guys come out and beat the gorilla over the head.

From The Daily Beast

Kerr was adamant that the gorilla tie was not a statement about evolution, but “about life.”

From The Daily Beast

In Uganda, the World Wildlife Fund estimates each gorilla rakes in $1 million in revenue each year.

From The Daily Beast

A hunter comes across a sickly gorilla, too weak to defend itself from the blows of his cleaver.

From The Daily Beast

Again, we have the fact that man possesses normally only twelve ribs, one less than is found in the gorilla and the chimpanzee.

From Project Gutenberg

The young gorilla which was kept in captivity at Berlin became quite omnivorous in its diet.

From Project Gutenberg

It is shortest in the chimpanzee, somewhat longer in the gorilla, still longer in the orang, and remarkably long in the gibbon.

From Project Gutenberg

It would be as useful to attempt to give the history of the gorilla as of man in the early stages of his progress.

From Project Gutenberg

The "Gorilla Warfare" (mentioned last week) having failed, the enemy tries a new dodge.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• assassin
• bandit
• bully
• criminal
• gangster
• goon
• gunman
• hooligan
• mobster
• murderer
• rowdy
• troublemaker