indri

American  

[in-dree] / ˈɪn dri /

noun

plural

indris

1. a short-tailed lemur, Indri indri, of Madagascar, about 2 feet (60 centimeters) in length: an endangered species.

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Etymology

Origin of indri

First recorded in 1830–40; from French indri, Malagasy indry “look!,” wrongly taken as animal's name

Example Sentences

The high-pitched, wailing duets of Madagascar’s giant indri lemurs may sound chaotic at first, but a study shows they actually have a regular underlying timing pattern.

From Scientific American • Dec. 27, 2021

Scientists now say they have discovered one of the hallmarks of the skill in the fluffy, black-and-white indri lemur, a species distantly related to humans and only found in Madagascar.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 25, 2021

Dissecting indri songs indicates these animals share an underlying sense of rhythm with humans, but it raises more questions about how indris communicate.

From Scientific American • Oct. 25, 2021

You’ll also meet mouse lemurs, the smallest variety; indri, the largest; ring-tailed, popular in zoos; and sifakas, which appear to be gamboling to Mark Mothersbaugh’s soundtrack like Madagascar’s dance-floor kings.

From New York Times • Apr. 10, 2014

After a few minutes, the indri gives a high-pitched, sustained cry � a spacing call, a warning to any other indri in the area, and a sound that stays with you.

From Time Magazine Archive