GORILLA

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does gorilla mean? 

• GORILLA (noun)
  The noun GORILLA has 1 sense:

1. largest anthropoid ape; terrestrial and vegetarian; of forests of central west Africa

  Familiarity information: GORILLA used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GORILLA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Largest anthropoid ape; terrestrial and vegetarian; of forests of central west Africa

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

gorilla; Gorilla gorilla

Hypernyms ("gorilla" is a kind of...):

great ape; pongid (any of the large anthropoid apes of the family Pongidae)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gorilla"):

Gorilla gorilla gorilla; western lowland gorilla; eastern lowland gorilla; Gorilla gorilla grauri (a kind of gorilla)

Gorilla gorilla beringei; mountain gorilla (gorilla of Kivu highlands)

silverback (an adult male gorilla with grey hairs across the back)

Holonyms ("gorilla" is a member of...):

genus Gorilla (gorillas)

 Context examples 

He had no arms with which to attack me from a distance; while I, armed, could always forestall him should he attempt to grapple me with his terrible gorilla arms.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

A taxonomic family that was originally restricted to humans and their extinct relatives, but now also includes the gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee and bonobo.

(Hominidae, NCI Thesaurus)

The study in the journal PLOS Biology lists what the authors say are the world's 10 most charismatic animals: tigers, lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, pandas, cheetahs, polar bears, gray wolves and gorillas.

(Study: Popularity of Wildlife Can Harm Public's Perception, VOA)

It was what might be termed a sinewy, knotty strength, of the kind we ascribe to lean and wiry men, but which, in him, because of his heavy build, partook more of the enlarged gorilla order.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Before I had time to express any desire to know, he had me by the throat with his gorilla grip, and by a faint quiver of the muscles—a hint, as it were—he suggested to me the twist that would surely have broken my neck.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)