Australoid

[ aw-struh-loid ]

noun
  1. Anthropology. a descriptive category including principally the Australian Aboriginal peoples and sometimes including Papuans, Melanesians, various peoples, as Negritos, of the Philippines, Malay Peninsula, and Andaman Islands, and some of the tribes of central and southern India.

adjective
  1. pertaining to or having the characteristics of the Australoids.

Origin of Australoid

1
First recorded in 1860–65; variant of Australioid.See Australia, -oid
  • Also Aus·tra·li·oid [aw-strey-lee-oid]. /ɔˈstreɪ liˌɔɪd/.

Words Nearby Australoid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Australoid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Australoid

Australoid

/ (ˈɒstrəˌlɔɪd) /


adjective
  1. denoting, relating to, or belonging to a supposed racial group that includes the native Australians and certain other peoples of southern Asia and the Pacific islands.

noun
  1. any member of this racial group

usage For Australoid

The word Australoid and other words ending in -oid and relating to racial groups, such as Mongoloid, are controversial scientifically and best avoided. If you need to mention the ethnicity of indigenous peoples from this region it is preferable to use a specific name, or a widely accepted term such as indigenous Australians or Aboriginal peoples

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