hominid

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noun hom·i·nid \ˈhä-mə-nəd, -ˌnid\

Definition of hominid

anthropology : any of a family (Hominidae) of erect bipedal primate mammals that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms and in some recent classifications the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan

hominid

adjective

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Recent Examples of hominid from the Web

The mammal assemblage of the hominid site TM266 (Late Miocene, Chad Basin): ecological structure and paleoenvironmental implications Naturwissenschaften, 96 (5), 565-574 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-008-0504-7 LIKIUS, A., VIGNAUD, P., & BRUNET, M. (2007).

— brian switek, WIRED, "Toumai and the Sabercats", 20 Jan. 2011

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hominid'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hominid

New Latin Hominidae, from Homin-, Homo + -idae

First Known Use: circa 1889

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

Medical Dictionary

hominid

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noun hom·i·nid \ˈhäm-ə-nəd, -ˌnid\

Medical Definition of hominid

: any of a family (Hominidae) of erect, bipedal, primate mammals that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms and in some recent classifications the gorilla, chimpanzee, and organgutan