prehominid

American

[pree-hom-uh-nid] / priˈhɒm ə nɪd /

noun

any of the extinct humanlike primates classified in the former family Prehominidae.
any extinct form that is thought to be an ancestor of the hominins.

prehominid British

/ priːˈhɒmɪnɪd /

noun

any of various extinct manlike primates See australopithecine

"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

Etymology

Origin of prehominid

First recorded in 1935–40; pre- + hominid

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.

Lice have been linked to human beings dating back to our prehominid ancestors.

From Scientific American

It was in the sea, Morgan states, that the prehominid female began to walk on two feet instead of four to keep her head above water.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023