hamadryas

British

/ ˌhæməˈdraɪəs /

noun

Also called: hamadryas baboon. sacred baboon. a baboon, Papio (or Comopithecus ) hamadryas, of Arabia and NE Africa, having long silvery hair on the head, neck, and chest: regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians: family Cercopithecidae

"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

Etymology

Origin of hamadryas

C19: via New Latin from Latin; see _hamadryad

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:

hamadryas

Female hamadryas baboons given hormonal contraception lived 29 percent longer, while castrated males lived 19 percent longer.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 16, 2026

Thoth, the god of learning and wisdom was represented by a hamadryas baboon.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2023

A statue of a hamadryas baboon inscribed with King Narmer’s name dates to between 3150 B.C. and 3100 B.C.;

From Scientific American ● Nov. 17, 2021

We found that the hamadryas baboon has more so-called cellulolytic microbes—which break down plant cell walls—than the olive baboon does, in keeping with its higher-fiber diet.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 17, 2021

The spectacular hamadryas baboon is a very good citizen.

From The Minds and Manners of Wild Animals A Book of Personal Observations by William Temple Hornaday

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023