colobus

[ kol-uh-buhs, kuh-loh- ]
/ ˈkɒl ə bəs, kəˈloʊ- /

noun, plural col·o·bus·es, col·o·bi [kol-uh-bahy, kuh-loh-bahy]. /ˈkɒl əˌbaɪ, kəˈloʊ baɪ/.

any of several large, slender African monkeys of the genus Colobus, lacking thumbs and having long silky fur of black and white (C. polykomos), black and reddish-brown (C. badius), or olive (C. verus): now dwindling.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
to cause to be empty or unoccupied.
to assent tacitly; agree; consent.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of colobus

1811; <New Latin, the genus name <Greek kolobós docked, maimed; so named from the mutilated appearance of the thumbless hands

Words nearby colobus

collywobbles, Colmar, Cöln, colo-, coloboma, colobus, colocate, colocentesis, colocholecystostomy, colocolostomy, colocynth
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for colobus

British Dictionary definitions for colobus

colobus
/ (ˈkɒləbəs) /

noun

any leaf-eating arboreal Old World monkey of the genus Colobus, of W and central Africa, having a slender body, long silky fur, long tail, and reduced or absent thumbs

Word Origin for colobus

C19: New Latin, from Greek kolobos cut short; referring to its thumb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012