il buco

Meaning

Buco means a hole, opening, or gap in something solid or continuous.

Common uses:

• A physical hole: an opening in a wall, ground, fabric, etc.
  E.g. un buco nel muro = a hole in the wall
• A gap/empty space (also figurative): a missing part, absence, or lack.
  E.g. un buco nella memoria = a memory gap
  un buco nel bilancio = a budget deficit / shortfall

Parts (form/structure)

• buco is a simple base noun (not a compound).
• Singular: buco
• Plural: buchi (note the spelling change c → ch to keep the hard “k” sound)

Italian synonyms

Depending on context:

• foro (hole, opening; often more technical)
• apertura (opening)
• fessura (crack, slit)
• cavità (cavity)
• voragine (large deep hole, abyss)
• Figurative: lacuna (gap, missing element), mancanza (lack)

Italian antonyms

Context-dependent:

• For “hole/opening”: pieno (full), chiusura (closure), superficie integra / integrità (intact surface/integrity)
• For “gap/lack” (figurative): completezza (completeness), pienezza (fullness)