bonobo
Americannoun
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bonobos
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bonobo
First recorded in 1950–55; origin uncertain; probably from a Bantu language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Explanation
A bonobo is an African ape that's slightly smaller than a chimpanzee. Known for being timid and peaceful, bonobo groups are also matriarchal, led by females. Along with chimpanzees, bonobos are our closest relatives, sharing 98.7 percent of their DNA with humans. These apes are native to a small region in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where their existence is threatened by deforestation and poaching. Bonobo most likely derives from a misspelling of the Congolese town of Bolobo printed on a shipping crate. Before being recognized as a separate species and given a distinct name, they were called pygmy chimpanzees.
Vocabulary lists containing bonobo
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:
Similar findings were also reported in another study with a bonobo, in which the bonobo was also able to synchronize its drum beats to a human in the experiment.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
By contrast, Berthet notes that bonobo communication focuses mostly on getting the group together.
From Salon ● May 29, 2025
He used statistical techniques to reconcile these differences and provide estimates for bonobo populations across the entire range of Salonga, including areas previously unstudied.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024
This work represents the largest temporal comparison of a bonobo population to date, underscoring its significant geographical scope.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024
“That’s the ugliest bonobo I have ever seen,” Mama Evangeline said.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
Researchers at Durham University studied chimpanzees and bonobos using physical contact to reassure each other ahead of conflicts over food.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans all produce laughter, but scientists have long wondered how those vocalizations changed over millions of years and whether they could reveal anything about the origins of human language.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
Humans, chimps and bonobos share a common ancestor going back 7 million years or so.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
By looking at chimps, which along with bonobos are humans' closest living relatives, perhaps we "can help confirm some of the hypotheses about how those really early hominins, or bipedal apes, behaved", Pruetz said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026
That night I was able to fall asleep but woke before dawn, mind looping from Mom to Otto to those two little bonobos in the crate.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
