coatto

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin coāctus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /koˈat.to/
• Rhymes: -atto
• Hyphenation: co‧àt‧to

Adjective

coatto (feminine coatta, masculine plural coatti, feminine plural coatte)

1. (chiefly law) imposed by an authority or by law; compulsory, forced

   domicilio coatto ― internal exile (literally, “compulsory stay”)

   rimozione coatta ― forced towing (of a vehicle)

2. (psychology) compulsive

Noun

coatto m (plural coatti, feminine coatta)

1. (by extension) prisoner, convict
2. (Rome) someone with coarse, rude manners, from the suburbs; boor

   Synonyms: buzzurro, peracottaro

   • p. 1940, Gigi Proietti, Er cavajere bianco e ’r cavajere nero:

     S’arza un coatto. “Tu che vòi raccontà?” — “Er cavajere bianco e ’r cavajere nero.”

     A boor stands up. “What do you want to tell us?” — “The white knight and the black knight.”

Further reading

• coatto in sapere.it – De Agostini Editore
• coatto in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana