anthropoid ape

American  

[an-thruh-poid eyp] / ˈæn θrəˌpɔɪd ˈeɪp /

noun

1. any member of the former taxonomic suborder Anthropoidea, under which New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and apes, including humans, were grouped: modern classification groups these under the suborder Haplorhini along with the tarsiers.

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anthropoid ape British  

noun

1. any primate of the family Pongidae, having no tail, elongated arms, and a highly developed brain. The group includes gibbons, orang-utans, chimpanzees, and gorillas

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anthropoid ape Scientific  

/ ăn′thrə-poid′ /

1. A primate belonging to the family Pongidae, which includes the chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, and orangutan. Orangutans are arboreal whereas the other three species are terrestrial or semiarboreal. Anthropoid apes move in trees mainly by arm-swinging and on the ground by quadrupedal walking in which the upper body weight is borne on the knuckles.

2. Also called great ape pongid

3. Compare hominid

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Etymology

Origin of anthropoid ape

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anthropoid ape

The everyday functions of the human body are practically the same as those of the anthropoid ape, and similar disorders are common to both.

From The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4) A Plain Story Simply Told by Thomson, J. Arthur

He was greatly surprised at the size of the unknown creature and began to surmise that it was an anthropoid ape, though before his speculations had ranged from parrots through dogs to domesticated leopards.

From The Strange Adventures of Mr. Middleton by Curtis, Wardon Allan

That this "tailless, catarrhine, anthropoid ape" should have had anything resembling a religion, is, of course, not to be thought of.

From Evolution An Investigation and a Critique by Graebner, Theodore

He never professed to trace the birth of ethics, idealization, science, poetry, art, religion, or anything spiritual in the anthropoid ape.

From No Refuge but in Truth by Smith, Goldwin

The other two swear they saw somebody at the wheel," Burris said, "but they won't say whether it was a man, a woman, a small child, or an anthropoid ape.

From The Impossibles by Garrett, Randall