gorilla

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noun go·ril·la \ gə-ˈri-lə \

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

Definition of gorilla

1 :a very large typically black-colored anthropoid ape (Gorilla gorilla) of equatorial Africa that has a stocky body with broad shoulders and long arms and is less erect and has smaller ears than the chimpanzee

2 a :an ugly or brutal man

b :thug, goon

See gorilla defined for English-language learners

See gorilla defined for kids

Examples of gorilla in a Sentence

She hired some gorilla as her bodyguard.
the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to “convince” him to pay up

Recent Examples of gorilla from the Web

The Rock-afire Explosion included such characters as Billy Bob Brockali, a banjo-playing bear; Mitzi Mozzarella, a mouse chanteuse; and Fatz Geronimo, a gorilla keyboardist and frontman.

— robert channick, chicagotribune.com, "Chuck E. Cheese's breaking up the (animatronic) band," 23 Aug. 2017
The Bacchakong is a three-part float that will be the new home of the much beloved Bacchus giant gorilla family: Kong, Mama Kong, and Baby Kong.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "We're halfway to Mardi Gras 2018. No lie!," 14 Aug. 2017
Many other primates including rhesus monkeys, baboons, and gorillas also acquire plaques with aging, but tau tangles are either absent in those species or don’t fully resemble those seen in humans.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "Elderly chimps may get Alzheimer’s, renewing interest in studying these animals," 1 Aug. 2017
To answer that question, Jayachandran and her colleagues traveled to western Uganda, whose forests are home to chimpanzees and gorillas, and whose deforestation rates are the third highest in the world.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "The Success of Paying People to Not Cut Down Trees," 20 July 2017
Caesar seeks peace with humans, but must deal with the treachery of a fifth column of gorillas that once served his rival, the autocratic Koba.

— john petkovic, cleveland.com, "'War for the Planet of the Apes': apes have evolved more than humans (movie review)," 13 July 2017
Rodney Fertel first became fascinated with gorillas during a 1965 visit to the Antwerp, Belgium, zoo.

— NOLA.com, "Remembering Rodney Fertel's 'gorilla' campaign for New Orleans mayor," 12 July 2017
Advocating for another layer of taxation should not happen unless and until Connecticut addresses the 800-pound gorilla in the room.

— christopher keating, courant.com, "Trumbull Withdraws From CCM Due To Tax Hike Proposal," 11 July 2017
The 10-year-old LaMalfa thought the zoo's gorilla keeper surely had the coolest job in the world.

— meg jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Former zookeepers reminisce as Milwaukee County Zoo celebrates 125th anniversary," 9 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gorilla.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gorilla

New Latin, from Greek Gorillai, plural, a tribe of hairy women mentioned in an account of a voyage around Africa

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1847

See Words from the same year

gorilla Synonyms

Synonyms

bully, gangbanger, gangsta, gangster, goon, hoodlum, hood, hooligan, mobster, mug, plug-ugly, punk, roughneck, rowdy, ruffian, thug, tough, toughie (also toughy), yob [British], yobbo [British]

Related Words

cutthroat, scoundrel, villain; assassin, bandit, bravo, brigand, criminal, crook, desperado, felon, gunman, highwayman, lawbreaker, mafioso, malefactor, offender, outlaw, perp, perpetrator, pirate; pickpocket, racketeer, robber, swindler, thief, vandal; juvenile delinquent, tearaway [British]

Financial Definition of GORILLA

gorilla

noun

What It Is

A gorilla is a company that controls most of the market for a product or service.

How It Works

For example, in the 1990s, Microsoft was a gorilla in the market for operating systems. Sure, there were competitors, but they were very small, had tiny market shares, and avoided taking Microsoft on directly. Microsoft had billions to invest in marketing and innovation, and could easily undercut, out-distribute, and outsell these tiny competitors. As the saying goes, an 800-pound gorilla does whatever it wants.

Why It Matters

A gorilla's huge size means that competitors must carefully consider the gorilla's potential reactions to certain business decisions. Many gorillas have a shot at monopolizing the market. However, federal antitrust laws, most notably the Sherman Act, make collusive activity and monopolistic behavior illegal in the United States. There is, however, still an incentive to compete with a gorilla. After all, an undetected price cut (or increase in production) will attract customers who are buying from the gorilla and customers who are not buying the product at all. Price adjustments may be subtle, including better credit terms, faster delivery or related free services.

Gorillas are most effective when the demand for the gorilla's product is not very affected by price. This is why gorillas are more effective in the short term; over the long term, prices often become elastic as consumers find cheaper substitutes for the product.

Source: Investing Answers

GORILLA Defined for English Language Learners

gorilla

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noun

Definition of gorilla for English Language Learners

: a type of very large ape that has black fur and that comes from Africa
: a large, strong, and usually ugly or frightening man

GORILLA Defined for Kids

gorilla

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noun go·ril·la \ gə-ˈri-lə \

Definition of gorilla for Students

:a very large ape of the forests of central Africa that lives mostly on the ground

History for gorilla

In the sixth century b.c. the navigator Hanno, from the city of Carthage, made a trip around the west coast of Africa. An account of his journey disappeared, though a Greek translation survives. Near the furthest point on their voyage Hanno and his men came upon an island “full of wild people, the greater part of whom were females, hairy on their bodies, whom our interpreters called Gorillas.” When the great ape we know as the gorilla was first described by scientists in the 1800s, it was given the Latin name Gorilla gorilla in recollection of Hanno's description—though exactly what Hanno saw in Africa we will never know.