gorilla

Meaning

Noun

• Very large apes of the genus Gorilla, native to the forests of central Africa and known for their trait of knuckle-walking.
• A big and brutish man or a thug; a goon or ruffian.
• A powerful person or organization; a heavyweight or behemoth.

Origin

• From Ancient Greek Γόριλλαι ("Gorillai {{gloss")}}, described by Hanno the Navigator, a Carthaginian navigator and possible visitor to the area that later became Sierra Leone.