: 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
She hired some gorilla as her bodyguard.
the loan shark sent a couple of gorillas to “convince” him to pay up
Recent Examples on the WebThis verdict is the verdict of someone who was forced to fight a 1,000-pound gorilla with both hands tied behind his back.—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024 After his death on New Year’s Day 1951, the massive 6-foot-2, 550-pound gorilla was brought to the Field Museum where its expert taxidermists carefully preserved and encased in glass the beloved animal who greets visitors at the museum’s East Entrance.—Andrew Johnston, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2024 Marjorie Harvey During a trip to Rwanda recently, Marjorie appreciated the beauty of the silverback gorillas at the Volcanoes National Park.—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 25 May 2024 In our gorilla family, there was a 2-year-old and a one-month-old.—Diane Farr, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for gorilla
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gorilla.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek Gorillai, plural, a tribe of hairy women mentioned in an account of a voyage around Africa
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