slow loris

American  

[sloh lawr-is] / ˈsloʊ ˈlɔr ɪs /

noun

1. any of a group of lorises of the genus Nycticebus, found in Southeast Asia and characterized by a toxic bite, slow and quiet movement, and distinct patterns of color that vary from species to species: all slow lorises, noted as stockier than the slender lorises, are considered vulnerable or endangered.

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Etymology

Origin of slow loris

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

All slow loris species are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

A zoo is celebrating the birth of rare and endangered pygmy slow loris twins.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025

Interest is growing in a new waste management system, and as this environmental awareness trickles down the mountain, so does the plight of the slow loris.

From The Guardian • Oct. 13, 2020

The Zoo The slow loris has only a tiny window of time for breeding, so staff help a potential pair connect at just the right moment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2018

“I could imagine something with the face of a gibbon but moving much more slowly than a gibbon, like a slow loris atop the branches … eventually being able to suspend below them,” Alba says.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 29, 2015