squartatore
masculine
The English phrase ripper is translated into Italian as squartatore.
The term refers specifically to a murderer who kills and often mutilates victims with a blade, rather than being a general term for any murderer.
Meaning: murderer who kills and often mutilates victims with a blade (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The noun is derived from the verb squartare, which means to rip open or slit open, specifically referring to the abdomen or a large wound.
How does it change in a sentence?
While squartatore is the masculine form, the feminine form of the noun is squartatrice.
Did you know?
- The root quarti in squartatore comes from the word for 'quarters', reflecting the literal act of dividing something into four parts.
- The Italian translation for Jack the Ripper, Jack lo Squartatore, adds the article lo because of a specific phonetic rule. This is required because the word starts with 's' followed by a consonant.
- If you were describing a person who 'rips' through paper or fabric without the intent of murder, you would likely use strappatore instead of squartatore. The latter is far too violent for non-lethal contexts.
Examples in context
- Jack lo squartatoreJack the RipperThis example shows how to refer to the historical figure Jack the Ripper using the form squartatore.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ripper” translations and entries squartatore, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
