bonobo

noun

bo·​no·​bo bə-ˈnō-bō  ˈbä-nə-bō 

-nō-

plural bonobos

: a rare great ape (Pan paniscus) that has a more slender build and longer limbs than the related common chimpanzee (P. troglodytes) and that inhabits a small geographic region in equatorial Africa south of the Congo River

called also pygmy chimpanzee

Examples of bonobo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The apes’ close relatives, bonobos, however, were more laissez-faire and rarely stepped in. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 May 2026

The subject of the study was Kanzi, arguably the world's most famous bonobo — an endangered species of ape that's a smaller cousin to chimpanzees. — Nathan Rott, NPR, 10 Feb. 2026

The researchers fear that the experiments are too invasive and could alter the social dynamics of the bonobo group. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 3 June 2026

Enter Kanzi, a bonobo who was raised in a lab and became a whiz at communicating with humans using graphic symbols. — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

bonobo

noun

bo·​no·​bo bə-ˈnō-bō; ˈbä-nə-bō  -nō- 

: a rare anthropoid ape of the genus Pan (P. paniscus) that has a more slender build and longer limbs than the related common chimpanzee (P. troglodytes)

called also pygmy chimpanzee