Becco
/ˈbɛk.ko/noun
An Italian word meaning a beak or bill; also used colloquially for a goat or a lecherous man.
Did you know?Italian becco comes from the same ancient Germanic root as English beak, showing how a word for a bird’s mouth can branch into insults, slang, and everyday speech.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bika-
“beak, bill”
Old High German
OHG
bih
“beak, bill”
Late Latin
Latin
beccus
“beak, bill”
Old Italian
Italian
becco
“beak; goat; lecher”
Modern English
English
beak
“bird’s bill; projecting nose; slang for a magistrate”