1. a powerfully built great ape with a large head and short neck, found in the forests of central Africa. It is the largest living primate.
▪ a heavily built aggressive-looking man.
▪ a dominant contender within a particular sphere of operation or activity:"the 800-lb gorilla of the home mortgage industry"
Word Originfrom an alleged African word for a wild or hairy person, found in the Greek account of the voyage of the Carthaginian explorer Hanno in the 5th or 6th century bc; adopted in 1847 as the specific name of the ape.
