gibbon

[ gib-uhn ]
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noun
  1. any of the small arboreal apes of the East Indies and southern Asia that belong to the four genera of the family Hylobatidae (the lesser apes), displaying strong territorial behavior with vigorous vocalization and having wrists much like ball-and-socket joints: all species are reduced in number, and most are endangered.

Origin of gibbon

1
First recorded in 1760–70; from French, used by Georges Buffon; further origin uncertain

Words Nearby gibbon

Other definitions for Gibbon (2 of 2)

Gibbon
[ gib-uhn ]

noun
  1. Edward, 1737–94, English historian.

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How to use gibbon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gibbon (1 of 2)

gibbon

/ (ˈɡɪbən) /


noun
  1. any small agile arboreal anthropoid ape of the genus Hylobates, inhabiting forests in S Asia

Origin of gibbon

1
C18: from French, probably from an Indian dialect word

British Dictionary definitions for Gibbon (2 of 2)

Gibbon

/ (ˈɡɪbən) /


noun
  1. Edward. 1737–94, English historian; author of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776–88), controversial in its historical criticism of Christianity

  2. Lewis Grassic (ˈɡræsɪk), real name James Leslie Mitchell . 1901–35, Scottish writer: best known for his trilogy of novels Scots Quair (1932–34)

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