hominid
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of hominid
1885–90; < New Latin Hominidae, equivalent to Latin homin- (stem of homō ) “human being, man” ( see Homo) + -idae ( def. )
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Explanation
Hominids are the group of primates that includes humans, gorillas, and chimpanzees, among others. You are a person, but you can also call yourself a hominid. The word hominid originally referred only to humans, and its Latin root reflects that: homo, or "man." Today scientists use it to talk about any of the great apes (including humans). Things all hominids have in common include the absence of a tail, a gestation of 8 or 9 months before birth, offspring that's born helpless, and in most cases, a preference for fruit (although some hominids are omnivorous).
Vocabulary lists containing hominid
The Stone Age - Middle School and High School
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Chapter 1
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Content Summary 1.1: Human Adaptation and Migration in the Paleolithic World
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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.
"I'm reminded of the famous 'Lucy' fossil, one of our hominid ancestors that lived 3 million years ago and was one of the key 'missing links' between apes and humans," he said.
From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026
Our hominid ancestors were much smaller than we were and were easily preyed upon by big cats and big birds.
From Salon • Dec. 9, 2024
It is also unclear what species of ancient human - or hominid - built it.
From BBC • Sep. 20, 2023
“Demonstrating that the scratches were made by a hominid using a stone tool is a methodological challenge. The larger challenge is to demonstrate that such evidence has anything whatsoever to do with cannibalism.”
From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2023
At various times and places, as Homo Sapiens absorbed other hominid strains, differences within Homo Sapiens developed.
From The Black Experience in America by Coombs, Norman
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.
