Zanni

noun

Zan·​ni

ˈ(d)zänē

plural Zanni or Zannis

1

: a madcap clown in masked comedy traditionally from Bergamo, Italy usually playing the part of a comic servant and indulging in acrobatic antics and tricks compare pierrot

2

: a clown resembling Harlequin

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Italian dialect (Lombardy) Zanni, nickname from the name Italian Giovanni John, from Late Latin Joannes

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