baboon
Americannoun
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any of various large, terrestrial monkeys of the genus Papio and related genera, of Africa and Arabia, having a doglike muzzle, large cheek pouches, and a short tail.
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a coarse, ridiculous, or brutish person, especially one of low intelligence.
noun
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Nouns
Etymology
Origin of baboon
1275–1325; Middle English baboyne, babewyn grotesque figure, gargoyle, late Middle English: baboon (compare Anglo-Latin babevynus ) < Middle French babouin, akin to babine pendulous lip, derivative of an expressive base *bab- grimace
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Explanation
A baboon is a type of African monkey. Baboons have long snouts that resemble dogs' muzzles. Baboons have thick fur, short tails, and prominent noses. They are ground-dwelling monkeys, and in the wild they form complex families and groups with higher- and lower-ranking members. If you visit a zoo with a primate area, you'll probably see baboons. The Old French word for baboon is baboin, or "ape," which might come from baboue, "muzzle" or "grimace."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Indeed, the Jane Goodall Institute now runs a longstanding baboon research project based partly on the fact that baboons are important chimpanzee prey.
From Salon • Oct. 1, 2025
Lucius has a knack for showmanship, with moves he stole from Maximus, but he’s more feral, going tooth-to-tooth with a nasty baboon in a podunk ring outside the city.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024
"The possibility that T. rex might have been as intelligent as a baboon is fascinating and terrifying, with the potential to reinvent our view of the past," concluded Dr Darren Naish.
From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2024
In 1984 an infant known as Baby Fae received a baboon heart and lived for three weeks before her immune system rejected the organ.
From Scientific American • Oct. 19, 2023
And there’s the Pigman, the smiling Pigman, leaning all the way over the guardrail, tossing peanuts to this mean baboon.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
