Illustration of orangutan
orangutan
noun
orang·u·tan
ə-ˈraŋ-ə-ˌtaŋ 
-ˈraŋ-gə-,
-ˌtan
: any of several largely herbivorous arboreal great apes (Pongo pygmaeus, P. abelii, and P. tapanuliensis) of Borneo and Sumatra that are about ²/₃ as large as the gorilla and have brown skin, long sparse reddish-brown hair, and very long arms
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The researchers also found reports of kissing in all great apes, from humans to chimpanzees to orangutans, with the exception of the eastern gorilla.
—
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025
Earlier this year, Thai police arrested a man after he was found with two baby orangutans in a basket at a gas station in Bangkok.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025
In May, Thai police arrested a man suspected of smuggling two baby orangutans into the kingdom.
—CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Mother orangutans take this time to teaching their young how to survive, including through their diet and avoiding predators.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
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Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025
Earlier this year, Thai police arrested a man after he was found with two baby orangutans in a basket at a gas station in Bangkok.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025
In May, Thai police arrested a man suspected of smuggling two baby orangutans into the kingdom.
—CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025
Mother orangutans take this time to teaching their young how to survive, including through their diet and avoiding predators.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for orangutan
Cite this Entry
“Orangutan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orangutan. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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