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definitions

ape-man

[ eyp-man ]
/ ˈeɪpˌmæn /
|

noun, plural ape-men.

a hypothetical primate representing a transitional form between true humans and the anthropoid apes, considered by some as constituting the genus Australopithecus.
a human assumed to have been reared by apes.

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Nearby words

  1. apatosaurus,
  2. apb,
  3. apc,
  4. ape,
  5. ape hangers,
  6. apeak,
  7. apec,
  8. apeldoorn,
  9. apelles,
  10. apellous

Origin of ape-man

First recorded in 1875–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ape-man

Word Origin and History for ape-man

ape-man

n.

hypothetical "missing link," 1879, in a translation of Haeckel, from ape (n.) + man (n.). Man-ape is attested from 1878. The name Martin Halfape appears in an English roll from 1227.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper