Tarzan
noun /ˈtɑːzæn/
/ˈtɑːrzæn/
- a man with a very strong bodyCultureIn the novel Tarzan is an English nobleman who has grown up with apes (= animals like large monkeys) in Africa after his parents died there. He is friendly with the animals and uses his great strength to swing quickly through the trees. There have been many Tarzan films, including several with Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan and Maureen O'Sullivan as his partner Jane. Tarzan speaks poor English. Many people know that in one of the films he says 'Me Tarzan, you Jane' to Jane, and make jokes about it. The most recent Tarzan film was The Legend of Tarzan (2016). There have also been radio and television programmes and newspaper comic strips about him.Word OriginFrom the novel Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs about a man who lived with wild animals.