brachiation

[ brey-kee-ey-shuhn, brak-ee- ]

noun

, Zoology.

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

brachiation

/ brā′kē-ā′shən,brăk′ē- /

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of brachiation¹

brachiate + -ion