chimp

noun

ˈchimp How to pronounce chimp (audio)
 sometimes  ˈshimp

Examples of chimp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But where chimps might merely poke over the ashes, our lineage at some point took the next step in promoting and even domesticating the flames — perhaps picking a smoldering stick from the edges of one grassland, and lighting the grassland in the next valley over. Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025 The idea is that whatever traits humans share with chimps today could date back to when the ancestors of the two species split off from one another six million to eight million years ago. Ari Daniel, NPR, 16 Aug. 2025 Over months, researchers observed around 60 chimps in Kibale National Park in Uganda. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025 Authorities believe the female chimp was being held in the same cage previously used for Tonka. Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for chimp

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chimp was in 1877

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chimp. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

chimp

noun
ˈchimp How to pronounce chimp (audio)
ˈshimp

More from Merriam-Webster on chimp

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!