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brachiation

[ brey-kee-ey-shuhn, brak-ee- ]
/ ˌbreɪ kiˈeɪ ʃən, ˌbræk i- /
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noun Zoology.
locomotion accomplished by swinging by the arms from one hold to another.
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Origin of brachiation

brachiate + -ion

Words nearby brachiation

brachi-, brachial, brachialgia, brachial plexus, brachiate, brachiation, brachiator, brachio-, brachiocephalic, brachiocephalic artery, brachiocephalic vein
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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.
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