Tarzan

American  

[tahr-zuhn, -zan] / ˈtɑr zən, -zæn /

noun

1. the hero of a series of jungle stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

2. a person of superior or superhuman physical strength, agility, and prowess.

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Tarzan British  

/ ˈtɑːzən /

noun

1. informal (sometimes not capital) a man with great physical strength, agility, and virility

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Tarzan ¹ Cultural  

1. A character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs in the early twentieth century. Tarzan, born to aristocratic parents but orphaned in Africa, is raised by apes, who teach him to speak their language.

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Tarzan ² Cultural  

1. A character in popular novels by the twentieth-century American author Edgar Rice Burroughs. (See under “Mythology and Folklore.”)

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By extension, a “Tarzan” is a macho male, figuratively thumping his chest to get attention.

The adventures of Tarzan have been chronicled in countless books, comic strips, animated cartoons, radio and television series, and motion pictures.

Etymology

Origin of Tarzan

C20: after the hero of a series of stories by Edgar Rice _Burroughs

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Tarzan

Reports at the time said he was helped by villagers and tribals who eulogised him as "a modern-day Tarzan who plays with elephants and rides tigers".

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

From there, he sailed around the outside of the Mercedes around the long, banked first corner, known as Tarzan, and set off after the Ferrari.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Told that Tarzan is a fictional character, Sibby replies, “I wouldn’t be so sure. They did make a movie about his life.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

“It was daydreaming about life in the forest with Tarzan that led to my determination to go to Africa, to live with animals and write books about them.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025

That’s how I learned about Tarzan and Cheetah, playing jungle with them.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

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