English edit

Etymology edit

From Italian sbirro; compare French sbire.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

sbirro (plural sbirros or sbirri)

  1. A policeman in Italy, Corsica, etc.
  2. A ruffian or henchman.

Anagrams edit

Italian edit

Etymology edit

From s- +‎ birro, the latter from Latin birrus (hooded coat), related to burrus (reddish; red-headed).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈzbir.ro/
  • Rhymes: -irro
  • Hyphenation: sbìr‧ro

Noun edit

sbirro m (plural sbirri)

  1. cop (policeman)
    Synonym: poliziotto

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • English: sbirro
  • Esperanto: sbiro
  • French: sbire
  • Maltese: żbirr
  • Romanian: zbir
  • Spanish: esbirro

Further reading edit

  • sbirro in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams edit