gorillaとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

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.

発音

• (英国発音, 米国発音) IPA^(key): /ɡəˈɹɪl.ə/^[1]
  • 韻: -ɪlə
  • Homophone: guerrilla

名詞

gorilla (複数形 gorillas)

1. 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.

2. 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."

3. (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.

派生語

関連する語

• Godzilla
• Gorillai

派生した語

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

参照