doccione
masculine
The English word 'gargoyle' can be translated into Italian as doccione. Wiktionary also lists gargoyle and gargouille.
Meaning: decorative figure on a building (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | Note |
|---|---|
| doccione | masculine |
| gargoyle | masculine |
| gargouille | feminine |
| gargolla | feminine |
| garguglia | feminine |
| grondone | masculine |
Which one should you use?
The words gargoyle, gargouille, gargolla and garguglia are also used, appearing as masculine or feminine depending on the specific form. doccione and grondone are masculine nouns, while gargouille and gargolla are feminine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The provided forms have different genders: doccione and grondone are masculine, while gargouille, gargolla and garguglia are feminine. The form gargoyle is masculine.
Did you know?
- The word doccione shares the same root as doccia, the modern Italian word for 'shower'.
- In Italian, if a stone creature is purely ornamental and does not serve as a water spout, it is more accurately called a chimera rather than a doccione.
- The word grondone comes from the verb grondare, which means 'to drip' or 'to leak', emphasizing the repetitive sound of water falling from the spout.
Examples in context
- Il doccione è decorato con ali di drago.The gargoyle is decorated with dragon wings.
- C'è un vecchio doccione sulla facciata della cattedrale.There is an old gargoyle on the cathedral facade.
- L'acqua scorre attraverso il doccione di pietra.The water flows through the stone gargoyle.
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are looking at the architecture of an old church.
- GiuliaGuarda quel doccione sopra la finestra!Look at that gargoyle above the window!
- MatteoÈ davvero impressionante, Giulia.It is truly impressive, Giulia.
- GiuliaSembra quasi un mostro vero.It looks almost like a real monster.
- MatteoHai ragione, è molto dettagliato.You are right, it is very detailed.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gargoyle” translations and entries doccione, gargouille, gargolla, garguglia, grondone, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
