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macaque

noun

ma·​caque mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) -ˈkäk How to pronounce macaque (audio)
: any of a genus (Macaca) of chiefly Asian monkeys typically having a sturdy build and including some short-tailed or tailless forms
especially : rhesus monkey

Illustration of macaque

Illustration of macaque

Examples of macaque 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.
Shibuya’s team is already pursuing an effort to repeat the experiment in other animals, including lizards, hamsters, marsupials, marmosets and macaques, although these results have not yet been published. Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 3 Dec. 2025 Regardless, rhesus macaques can grow as large as 40 pounds and are often aggressive towards humans. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025 Live cameras for Japanese macaques, sea otters and penguins who stay at the Detroit Zoo are available online. Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 2 Dec. 2025 Vani Rajendran and colleagues investigated whether macaques trained to synchronize their taps with metronome beats could extend their metronome-tapping skills to real music in all its acoustic complexity. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 29 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for macaque

Word History

Etymology

French, from Portuguese macaco, from kaku mangabey, plural makaku, in one or more Bantu languages of Gabon and Congo

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of macaque was in 1757

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Cite this Entry

“Macaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macaque. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

macaque

noun
ma·​caque mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) -ˈkäk How to pronounce macaque (audio)
: any of various monkeys mostly from Asia that includes some with either short or no tails
especially : rhesus monkey
Etymology

French, from Portuguese macaco, from makaku, plural of kaku, name for an African monkey in one or more Bantu languages of Gabon and Congo

Medical Definition

macaque

noun
ma·​caque mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) -ˈkäk How to pronounce macaque (audio)
: any of numerous short-tailed Old World monkeys of the genus Macaca and related genera chiefly of southern Asia
especially : rhesus monkey

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