anthropoid

noun

an·​thro·​poid ˈan(t)-thrə-ˌpȯid How to pronounce anthropoid (audio)
1
: any of a suborder (Anthropoidea) of higher primates (such as macaques and marmosets)
especially : ape sense 1a
2
: a person resembling an ape
the howling anthropoids of the Hookworm BeltH. L. Mencken
anthropoid adjective

Did you know?

With its suffix -oid, meaning "resembling", the word anthropoid means literally "resembling a human being". Anthropoid apes are so called because they resemble humans more closely than do other primates such as monkeys and lemurs. Some even spend a good deal of time walking on their hind legs. Anthropoids are, of course, highly intelligent (though maybe no more so than many monkeys), and some of them use sticks and stones as tools. (But if you call someone an anthropoid, you're probably not complimenting his intelligence.)

Examples of anthropoid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Because the fossil indicates that the tarsier and anthropoid primate groups split before that era, the anthropoid lineage is also at least that old, says Beard. Sid Perkins, Scientific American, 5 June 2013 The Chinese, conversely, have been convinced forc enturies that the entire rest of the world is inhabited by an alien species of lower anthropoid. Jean Shepherd, Car and Driver, 18 Dec. 2022 Solo’s first mate on the Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca, a 7-foot monkey-face anthropoid has his own following. Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2021 This 65-67 million-year-old relic looked down from on high on the anthropoids enjoying their time of evolutionary flourishing. Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, 18 June 2017 Since humans are apes, and apes are anthropoid primates, the last common ancestor of all anthropoids would be one of our distant primate ancestors. Brian Switek, WIRED, 1 July 2009

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anthropoid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

noun derivative of anthropoid, adjective, "of human beings, human-like (of apes and other members of the taxonomic order Anthropoidea), ape-like," borrowed from Greek anthrōpoeidḗs "of human form," from ánthrōpos "human being" + -oeidēs -oid entry 2 — more at anthropo-

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anthropoid was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near anthropoid

Cite this Entry

“Anthropoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anthropoid. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

anthropoid

1 of 2 adjective
an·​thro·​poid
ˈan(t)-thrə-ˌpȯid
: of, relating to, or being an anthropoid
anthropoid apes

anthropoid

2 of 2 noun
1
2
: a person resembling an ape (as in behavior)

Medical Definition

anthropoid

1 of 2 adjective
an·​thro·​poid ˈan(t)-thrə-ˌpȯid How to pronounce anthropoid (audio)
1
of the pelvis : having a slightly narrow, oval-shaped form compare android, gynecoid, platypelloid
2
: resembling humans
used especially of the apes of the family Hominidae

anthropoid

2 of 2 noun
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