primate

[prahy-meyt, prahy-mit]

noun

1. Ecclesiastical.,  an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.

2. Anthropology, Zoology.,  any of various worldwide omnivorous mammals of the order Primates, comprising, by modern classification, two suborders, the strepsirrhines (lemurs, lorises, and their allies) and the haplorhines (tarsiers, New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and apes, including humans), especially distinguished by the use of hands, varied locomotion, and complex behavior involving a high level of social interaction and cultural adaptability: many primates are strictly arboreal, but even among the numerous terrestrial species, some arboreal behavior is common.

3. Archaic.,  a chief or leader.

primate

¹

/ praɪˈmeɪʃəl, ˈpraɪmeɪt /

noun

1. any placental mammal of the order Primates, typically having flexible hands and feet with opposable first digits, good eyesight, and, in the higher apes, a highly developed brain: includes lemurs, lorises, monkeys, apes, and man

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the order Primates

primate

²

/ ˈpraɪmeɪt /

noun

1. another name for archbishop

2. the Archbishop of Canterbury

3. the Archbishop of York

primate

1. Any of various mammals of the order Primates, having a highly developed brain, eyes facing forward, a shortened nose and muzzle, and opposable thumbs. Primates usually live in groups with complex social systems, and their high intelligence allows them to adapt their behavior successfully to different environments. Lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans are primates.

Other Word Forms

• primatal adjective
• primatial adjective
• primatical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of primate¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, Anglo-French, Old French primat “dignitary, religious leader, archbishop,” from Late Latin prīmāt- (stem of prīmās ), noun use of Latin prīmās “of first rank, principal, chief,” derivative of prīmus “first”; primate ( def. 2 ) taken as singular of New Latin Primātēs, name of the taxonomic order; -ate as if from the suffix -ate ; prime, Primates, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of primate¹

C18: from New Latin primates, plural of prīmās principal, from prīmus first

Origin of primate²

C13: from Old French, from Latin prīmās principal, from prīmus first

Example Sentences

In the many years that Jane Goodall observed and studied chimpanzees, she revolutionised our understanding of our closest primate cousins.

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It took Leakey two years to find funding, which gave Goodall time to study primate behavior and anatomy in London.

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Her work was published in leading journals, and in 1965 she made the front cover of National Geographic, introducing the world to the emotional and social lives of the primates.

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In the meantime, the zoo shared photos of the new cute fuzzy primates.

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They say this is evidence humans may have got our taste for alcohol from common primate ancestors who relied on fermented fruit - a source of sugar and alcohol - for food.

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