Dictionary.com

brachiation

[ brey-kee-ey-shuhn, brak-ee- ]
/ ˌbreɪ kiˈeɪ ʃən, ˌbræk i- /

noun Zoology.

locomotion accomplished by swinging by the arms from one hold to another.

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
The Sunflower State
The Evergreen State
The Magnolia State
The Mockingbird State
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of brachiation

brachiate + -ion

Words nearby brachiation

brachial neuritis, brachial plexus, brachial plexus neuropathy, brachial vein, brachiate, brachiation, brachiator, brachio-, brachiocephalic, brachiocephalic artery, brachiocephalic trunk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Scientific definitions for brachiation

brachiation
[ brā′kē-ā′shən, brăk′ē- ]

Movement in which the suspended body swings by the arms from one hold to another, as in gibbons and arboreal primates. Adaptations used in brachiation, such as relatively long arms and a freely rotating shoulder joint, may have contributed to the development of bipedalism in protohumans.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.