great ape
nounDefinition of great ape
: any of several large primates including the orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo that are either placed in the same family (Hominidae) as humans or are grouped in a separate family (Pongidae)
Examples of great ape in a Sentence
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The Milwaukee County Zoo has sent bonobos from its group to other zoos in the world, and Boese created a Zoological Society of Milwaukee great apes conservation program to document the remaining population in the Democratic Republic of Congo. — Don Behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Gil Boese was a wildlife conservationist and former director of the Milwaukee County Zoo," 22 Mar. 2018 Gibbons are long-armed, tree-dwelling primates that are much smaller than the great apes (such as gorillas, orangutans and humans). — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "Extinct species of gibbon discovered in an unlikely place — the tomb of a Chinese noblewoman," 22 June 2018 Research and work with Koko, and other gorillas, has revealed that great apes have language skills similar to small children. — National Geographic, "Why Koko the Gorilla Mattered," 21 June 2018 Leo, whose full name was Leonel, was an integral part of one of the zoo’s great ape families that included three female gorillas: 22-year-old Nadiri, her 2-year-old daughter, Yola, and 16-year-old Akenji. — Christine Clarridge, The Seattle Times, "40-year-old Leo the gorilla died of heart disease, says Woodland Park Zoo doc," 5 Apr. 2018 In addition to three species of orangutan, the other living species of great ape are western and eastern gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and, of course, humans. — Sean Greene, latimes.com, "A rare great ape, a 130-foot-tall tree and an extinct marsupial lion make the Top 10 New Species list for 2018," 23 May 2018 Ashley Hammond, an expert on the evolution of locomotion in great apes and early humans, will take up the post on June 1. — Michael Balter, Scientific American, "Leading Science Museum Turns the Page on a Prominent #MeToo Case," 21 May 2018 And this is the most endangered great ape in the world. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Meet the top 10 new species of 2018," 23 May 2018 Pongo tapanuliensis Pongo tapanuliensis is the most imperiled great ape in the world. — Sarah Gray, Fortune, "A 62-Ton Tree and Great Ape Have Made the Top 10 New Species List," 23 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'great ape.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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