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) IPA: /ɡəˈɹɪl.ə/, (dated) /ɡɒˈɹɪl.ə/
• (米国発音) IPA: /ɡəˈɹɪl.ə/
• (North India) IPA: /ɡəˈrɪl(ː)ɑ/, /ˈɡorɪl(ː)ɑ/
• (South India) IPA: /ɡɵˈrɪl(ː)ɑ/
• 韻: -ɪlə
• Homophone: guerrilla

名詞

gorilla (plural gorillas)

1. 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.
   • 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.”

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

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

   • 1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 138:

     "Don't fool yourself," I said. "I could have slugged this pair of amateur gorillas any hour of the day or night. I've not done it because you've got nothing against them other than their being a pair of dim-witted nuisances."

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.

4. (slang, UK, Australia) 1000 pounds sterling or dollar.

   Coordinate term: monkey

派生語

関連する語

• Godzilla
• Gorillai

派生した語

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

参照

Further reading

• “gorilla n. (£1000)”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present