loris

American  

[lawr-is, lohr-] / ˈlɔr ɪs, ˈloʊr- /

noun

1. any of various small, arboreal, nocturnal mammals of the family Lorisidae, with large eyes and lacking a tail, comprising two genera, Loris (theslender lorises ) and Nycticebus (theslow lorises ).

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loris British  

/ ˈlɔːrɪs /

noun

1. any of several omnivorous nocturnal slow-moving prosimian primates of the family Lorisidae, of S and SE Asia, esp Loris tardigradus ( slow loris ) and Nycticebus coucang ( slender loris ), having vestigial digits and no tails

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Etymology

Origin of loris

First recorded in 1765–75; from New Latin; the genus name, from Dutch loeris “simpleton,” equivalent to loer “stupid person” (from French lourd “heavy, clumsy,” from Latin lūridus ) + -is; see origin at lurid, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Of all the decentralized crypto exchanges focused on real-world assets, Trade.xyz was ranked No. 1 in terms of open interest, which recently stood at $2.3 billion, according to data from Loris Tools.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

The Reggio Emilia philosophy was developed by Italian educator Loris Malaguzzi after World War II, drawing on his years of experience working in early childhood education as well as psychology.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

Moss worked as the attorney for the nearby town of Loris, S.C., where Vescovi’s wife was on the city council.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

A spokesperson said: "Breeding endangered species like these Loris are what zoos like ours are all about, ensuring that there is a captive population whilst numbers struggle in the wild."

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025

He folded this in quarters, wrote “Deliver to Loris Harrow” in big letters on the outside, and pinned it to the kiosk.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau