lemur

[ lee-mer ]

See synonyms for lemur on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of various small, arboreal, chiefly nocturnal mammals of the superfamily Lemuroidea, inhabiting Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, inclusive of nearly 100 species, most of which have large eyes, a foxlike face, and woolly fur: lemurs, which vary significantly in size, include the world’s smallest primates.

Origin of lemur

First recorded in 1790–1800; from New Latin Lemur, the species name, special use of Latin lemurēs (plural) “ghosts, specters, shades of the dead,” from its nocturnal habits

Other words from lemur

le·mur·like, adjective

See also strepsirrhine.

Words Nearby lemur

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lemur in a sentence

Preferably forests with lots of big-eyed, fluffy lemurs to tug heartstrings elsewhere in the world.
The first step in using trees to slow climate change: Protect the trees we have | Susan Milius | July 13, 2021 | Science News
They explain the evolution of monkeys, elephants, kangaroos, rodents, lemurs—and us.
One Incredible Ocean Crossing May Have Made Human Evolution Possible | Nicholas R. Longrich | May 2, 2021 | Singularity Hub
Two years on, says Borgerson, who plans to publish a paper on her findings, lemur poaching in the area has gone down by 30-50%.
They're Healthy. They're Sustainable. So Why Don't Humans Eat More Bugs? | Aryn Baker | February 26, 2021 | Time
Locals in the UNESCO World Heritage Site were eating lemurs and other endangered animals to add protein to their otherwise spare diets.
They're Healthy. They're Sustainable. So Why Don't Humans Eat More Bugs? | Aryn Baker | February 26, 2021 | Time
The lemurs reside at the Reniala Nature Reserve in southwest Madagascar.
A virtual menagerie: How conservation and rescue efforts can connect us with wildlife around the world | Andrea Sachs | January 15, 2021 | Washington Post

He took to Velcroing a stuffed lemur to his arm, christening it George.
Life and Death at Suicide High | Lucinda Franks | March 31, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
The ruffed lemur is the largest of these curious animals, being about as big as a good-sized cat.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History | Theodore Wood
There are two lemur-like animals which are so extraordinary that each of them has been put into a family all by itself.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History | Theodore Wood
The aye-aye is a lemur, but it differs singularly from all its congeners, and still more from all apes.
On the Genesis of Species | St. George Mivart
Galeopithecus “or the flying lemur” is mentioned in the corresponding discussion in the Origin, Ed.
The Foundations of the Origin of Species | Charles Darwin
Sem′i-an′thracite, coal intermediate between anthracite and semi-bituminous coal; Sem′i-ape, a lemur.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) | Various

British Dictionary definitions for lemur

lemur

/ (ˈliːmə) /

noun

any Madagascan prosimian primate of the family Lemuridae, such as Lemur catta (the ring-tailed lemur). They are typically arboreal, having foxy faces and long tails
any similar or closely related animal, such as a loris or indris

Origin of lemur

C18: New Latin, adapted from Latin lemurēs ghosts; so named by Linnaeus for its ghost-like face and nocturnal habits

Derived forms of lemur

lemur-like, adjective

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

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