plural bonobos
: a rare anthropoid 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
Female bonobos form strong alliances that keep male aggression in check.
—
Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The female bonobos dictate who gets to mate and when.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
The new study, however, suggests bonobos’ oral communication relies on both trivial and nontrivial compositionality.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
In 2020, bonobos in Congo discovered Hysterangium bonobo, a type of fungi that allows trees to absorb key nutrients from the soil and supports the diets of other animals.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025
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Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The female bonobos dictate who gets to mate and when.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025
The new study, however, suggests bonobos’ oral communication relies on both trivial and nontrivial compositionality.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
In 2020, bonobos in Congo discovered Hysterangium bonobo, a type of fungi that allows trees to absorb key nutrients from the soil and supports the diets of other animals.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bonobo
Cite this Entry
“Bonobo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonobo. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
bonobo
noun
bo·no·bo
bə-ˈnō-bō; ˈbä-nə-bō 
-nō-
-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
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