coatto

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 coattointernal exile (literally, “compulsory stay”)
      rimozione coattaforced towing (of a vehicle)
    2. (psychology) compulsive

    Noun

    coatto m (plural coatti, feminine coatta)

    1. (by extension) prisoner, convict
    2. (Romanesco) 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