Homo habilis
[ hoh-moh hab-uh-lis ]
/ ˈhoʊ moʊ ˈhæb ə lɪs /
noun
an extinct species of upright East African hominin having some advanced humanlike characteristics, dated as being from about 1.5 million to more than 2 million years old and proposed as an early form of Homo leading to modern humans.
a fossil belonging to this species.
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Origin of Homo habilis
First recorded in 1960–65; from New Latin: literally “skillful man, handy man,” because this species was thought to represent the first maker of stone tools. The oldest stone tools, however, are currently dated slightly older than the oldest evidence of the genus Homo
Words nearby Homo habilis
homogeny, homogonous, homogony, homograft, homograph, Homo habilis, Homo heidelbergensis, homoio-, homoiotherm, homoiothermal, homoiothermic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
British Dictionary definitions for Homo habilis
Homo habilis
/ (ˈhæbɪlɪs) /
noun
an extinct species of primitive man, the first to use stone tools
Word Origin for Homo habilis
New Latin, from Latin homo man + habilis able to handle, skilled
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for Homo habilis
Homo habilis
[ hăb′ə-ləs ]
An extinct species of early humans, known from fossils found in eastern Africa and often considered to be the first member of the genus Homo. It is associated with stone tools of the Oldowan culture. Homo habilis existed between about 2.5 and 1.6 million years ago and overlapped with late australopithecines and other hominids whose relationship to each other and to the later Homo erectus are uncertain.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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