arpagone

See also: Arpagone

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ar.paˈɡo.ne/
• Rhymes: -one
• Hyphenation: ar‧pa‧gó‧ne

Etymology 1

13th century: borrowed from Latin harpagōnem (“grappling hook, grappling iron”), from Ancient Greek ἁρπάγη (harpágē, “hook”), from ἁρπάζω (harpázō, “to snatch away, to carry off, to seize, to captivate”), of uncertain origin. Doublet of arpione (“harpoon”) and cognate to English harpoon and harpagon.

Noun

arpagone m (plural arpagoni)

1. (nautical) grapnel, grappling iron
2. (nautical, uncommon) gaff

   Synonym: alighiero

Etymology 2

1829, borrowed from French harpagon, as if named after Arpagone (“Harpagon”), the protagonist of Molière's The Miser (1668), whose original name Harpagon is an adaptation of Latin harpagō, gen. harpagōnis (“grappling hook, grappling iron”), from Ancient Greek ἁρπάγη (harpágē, “hook”), from ἁρπάζω (harpázō, “to snatch away, to carry off, to seize, to captivate”), of uncertain origin.

Noun

arpagone m (plural arpagoni)

1. skinflint, miser

   Synonyms: avaro, tirchio, taccagno, spilorcio

Further reading

• arpagone1 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• arpagone2 in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• paragone