macaque
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of macaque
First recorded in 1690–1700; from French, from Portuguese macaco “monkey,” presumably from a Bantu language of the Atlantic coast; compare Lingala makako “ape”
Explanation
A macaque is a kind of monkey that lives in Asia and North Africa. Macaques are known for their long faces and complex social behaviors. There are more than twenty species of macaques, and they're the most widespread of the primates — you might see a macaque in Japan, Afghanistan, or India. Barbary macaques are known for their family structures, in which the males help raise and care for the babies, while rhesus macaques are so common in some cities that they're seen as pests. Macaque is French, from the Portuguese for "monkey," macaco, which was originally a Bantu word brought to Portugal from Africa.
Vocabulary lists containing macaque
East Asia - Middle School
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East Asia - Introductory
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East Asia - High School
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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.
Macaque calls were added because these primates are more distantly related to humans both evolutionarily and acoustically.
From Science Daily • Dec. 10, 2025
They’re “sensitive creatures,” says conservationist Siân Waters, the executive director of Barbary Macaque Awareness & Conservation, another U.K.-based nonprofit, dedicated to conserving the animals and their habitat.
From National Geographic • Nov. 9, 2023
The Long-Tailed Macaque Project estimates that about 50,000 of them were caught in the wild.
From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2022
Macaque groups typically numbered around 44 monkeys, and killed 3,000 rats per year on average.
From Fox News • Oct. 22, 2019
The common Macaque is a strong, well-built monkey, of a dark grey colour, with a short stubby tail.
From The Speech of Monkeys by Garner, Richard Lynch
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.
