chuman

[ choo-muhn ]

noun

1. humanzee ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of chuman¹

Blend of chimpanzee ( def ) and human ( def ). Chuman is most associated with the chimp Oliver (c.1958–2012), who was the subject of much attention in the 1970s because his owners suspected that Oliver was a hybrid of human and chimpanzee. Testing performed in 1968 showed that Oliver was genetically normal and that his secondary characteristics were within normal limits for chimpanzees