tarzan

n. A famous fictional hero who was raised by apes in the African jungle.

n. The protagonist of Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels, characterized by his upbringing among primates and his survival skills in the wild.

“Many movies have been made about Tarzan and his life in the jungle.”

“The myth of Tarzan explores the conflict between natural instinct and the constraints of human civilization.”

n. A man who is very strong, muscular, and good at physical activities like climbing.

n. An allusion to the fictional character used to describe a man exhibiting great physical prowess, muscularity, or primitive strength.

“He thinks he is a real Tarzan just because he spent a week camping.”

“The gym was full of aspiring Tarzans showing off their strength on the climbing ropes.”

Informal

v. To climb, swing, or move through trees and ropes in an athletic way.

v. To behave in the manner of the fictional character, specifically by performing feats of agility such as swinging from ropes or climbing.

“The kids were Tarzanning through the playground equipment all afternoon.”

“He spent the weekend Tarzanning across the canopy walkway at the adventure park.”

Informal · Humorous