chimp
Americannoun
-
chimps
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of chimp
First recorded in 1875–80; by shortening
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.
See Examples For:
The chimp war study went viral for a variety of reasons, not least of them the lurid spectacle of a species other than our own committing despicable acts.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
Now, he experimented with animal concepts of aesthetics, giving a paintbrush to a chimp called Congo.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
The two groups had no remaining social or reproductive ties between them; the last chimp infant with parents from different groups was born in 2015.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
The group lives in the bush -- rather than the forest as is more common -- alongside other similar chimp communities in Senegal's Kedougou region on the border with Mali and Guinea.
From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026
“Maybe it’s just a coincidence, Jules. You know, a once-in-a-trillion kind of thing, like that old saying about the chimp and the typewriter. Give him long enough and he’ll write a novel.”
From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate
That said, while he is proud the Big Cat Public Safety Act passed in the aftermath of “Tiger King” and believes people should be banned from raising chimps at home, he views reptiles differently.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Indeed, chimps have been documented killing each other before, but usually one-off in events rather than in conflict between distinct groups that were formerly united.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
"These were chimps that would hold hands," lead author Aaron Sandel said.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
With the Ngogo chimps, researchers aren’t certain what prompted the split, but said it’s possible the apes were victims of their own success.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
They don’t know how to get on with other chimps.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
