quadrumanous

American  

[kwo-droo-muh-nuhs] / kwɒˈdru mə nəs /

adjective

1. four-handed; having all four feet adapted for use as hands, as monkeys.

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quadrumanous British  

/ kwɒˈdruːmənəs /

adjective

1. (of monkeys and apes) having all four feet specialized for use as hands

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quadrumanous Scientific  

/ kwŏ-dro̅o̅′mə-nəs /

1. Having four feet and using all four feet as hands, as primates other than humans do. The big toes as well as the thumbs of quadrumanous species are opposable.

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Etymology

Origin of quadrumanous

1690–1700; < New Latin quadrumanus, equivalent to Latin quadru- quadru- + -manus, adj. derivative of manus hand ( manual )

Example Sentences

The quest to know ourselves begins in 1699 with an anatomical assessment of modern chimpanzees by Edward Tyson who labeled them quadrumanous, meaning all of their appendages were adapted to function as hands.

From Scientific American

She belongs to the same zoological species that we do, and is neither trimanous nor quadrumanous.

From Project Gutenberg

Bearing in mind that the males of some quadrumanous animals have their vocal organs much more developed than in the females, and that one anthropomorphous species pours forth a whole octave of musical notes and may be said to sing, the suspicion does not appear improbable that the progenitors of man, either the males or females, or both sexes, before they had acquired the power of expressing their mutual love in articulate language, endeavoured to charm each other with musical notes and rhythm.

From Project Gutenberg

This diminutive quadrumanous specimen, on recognising the body of one of its big kinsmen, entered upon a series of chatterings and squeakings, trembling all the while as if suddenly awakened to the consciousness that it was itself in danger of terminating its existence in a similar manner.

From Project Gutenberg

Man, in a word, is potentially quadrumanous.

From Project Gutenberg