Illustration of macaque
: 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
Examples of macaque in a Sentence
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Both female and male macaques showed more interest in aggressive interactions than in peaceful grooming, and both paid more attention to videos of familiar individuals.
—
Clarissa Brincat, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2025
Building on his recent study of macaques, Miller’s goal is to conclusively identify a brain wave signature of unconsciousness in humans.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
In cynomolgus macaques, sperm counts fell sharply within two-to-five weeks and returned to normal within around three months.
—New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2025
By tracing the way the DNA has changed over time, the researchers found that the subfamily had evolved differently within the genomes of different animals, contributing to the biological evolution that resulted in humans, chimpanzees and macaques.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
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Clarissa Brincat, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2025
Building on his recent study of macaques, Miller’s goal is to conclusively identify a brain wave signature of unconsciousness in humans.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
In cynomolgus macaques, sperm counts fell sharply within two-to-five weeks and returned to normal within around three months.
—New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2025
By tracing the way the DNA has changed over time, the researchers found that the subfamily had evolved differently within the genomes of different animals, contributing to the biological evolution that resulted in humans, chimpanzees and macaques.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macaque
Cite this Entry
“Macaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macaque. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
: 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
: 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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