Pinocchio

Meanings

1. The fictional boy made from wood whose nose gets longer with each lie he tells, protagonist of the story The Adventures of Pinocchio (1881–1883) by Carlo Collodi.
2. The popular fairy tale about Pinocchio.

1. One who lies often; a liar.
2. One who has difficulty hiding lies.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian Pinocchio, possibly from the rare Tuscan form pinocchio (“pine nut”) or constructed from pino (“pine tree, pine wood”), also similar to Pino, diminutive of Giuseppe (“Joseph”), as is Geppetto (the maker of Pinocchio).