ape-man

American  

[eyp-man] / ˈeɪpˌmæn /

noun

plural

ape-men

1. a hypothetical primate representing a transitional form between true humans and the anthropoid apes, considered by some as constituting the genus Australopithecus.

2. a human assumed to have been reared by apes.

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Etymology

Origin of ape-man

First recorded in 1860–65; ape ( def. ) + man ( def. )

Example Sentences

What looks like an ape-man is probably a bear standing on its hind legs.

From Washington Post • Aug. 8, 2019

In “2001,” an ape-man turns a bone into a weapon, initiating a progression that traces humanity from, as it’s been described, ape to angel.

From New York Times • May 17, 2018

I like any kind of weird ape-man creature type stuff.

From New York Times • May 9, 2018

Soon you could have an ape-man throw a bone in the air and--blink--it's an orbiting spaceship.

From Time Magazine Archive

Occasionally my mother went to the rich man’s house to look at the ape-man.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston