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gorille

gorilla

noun goh-REEY Rare

Also means

bodyguard

Usage Note

Gorille refers to the great ape, but in informal French it also means a bodyguard or bouncer — the image being one of imposing physical presence. The word entered French from a Greek root used by an ancient navigator to describe wild hairy people. The plural is gorilles.

Examples

"Le gorille observait les visiteurs avec calme."

Natural Translation

The gorilla watched the visitors calmly.

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