macaque

noun

ma·​caque mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) -ˈkäk How to pronounce macaque (audio)
: any of a genus (Macaca) of chiefly Asian monkeys typically having a sturdy build and including some short-tailed or tailless forms
especially : rhesus monkey

Illustration of macaque

Illustration of macaque

Examples of macaque in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The macaques have adapted very well to living around the sea and venture into the water for various reasons including transportation, scavenging, cooling down and even playing. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Sarah Kite, a co-founder of Action for Primates, has researched the macaque trade for decades and contributed to a recent assessment that classified the species as endangered. Erika Fry, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024 This photo offers a rare glimpse of the swimming movement of a male macaque. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 For years, scientists didn’t realize that macaques, unlike humans, were not orally susceptible to the virus, a misapprehension that for a long time threw off their understanding of the disease’s pathway and confounded efforts. Erika Fry, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024 Rhesus macaques often live to about 25 years in captivity, with some living to 40. Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023 In the latest effort, researchers in China made these structures using stem cells from macaques and tried to establish pregnancies with them in female monkeys. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 7 Apr. 2023 At the same time, Celebes crested macaques visit the piles of plastic to try and get liquid out of the containers. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024 Between May 2017 and December 2020, employees performed invasive, exploratory brain studies on rhesus macaques at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'macaque.' 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

French, from Portuguese macaco, from kaku mangabey, plural makaku, in one or more Bantu languages of Gabon and Congo

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of macaque was in 1757

Dictionary Entries Near macaque

Cite this Entry

“Macaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macaque. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

macaque

noun
ma·​caque mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) -ˈkäk How to pronounce macaque (audio)
: any of various monkeys mostly from Asia that includes some with either short or no tails
especially : rhesus monkey
Etymology

French, from Portuguese macaco, from makaku, plural of kaku, name for an African monkey in one or more Bantu languages of Gabon and Congo

Medical Definition

macaque

noun
ma·​caque mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) -ˈkäk How to pronounce macaque (audio)
: any of numerous short-tailed Old World monkeys of the genus Macaca and related genera chiefly of southern Asia
especially : rhesus monkey

More from Merriam-Webster on macaque

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!