chimpanzee
/t͡ʃɪmˈpæn.zi/ noun
Forms chimpanzees japanzee
- noun Pan troglodytes, a species of great ape native to the savannas and forests of Africa, and believed by biologists to be the closest extant relative to humans along with the bonobo.
- noun (dated) A great ape of the genus Pan, including the bonobo which was formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee.
Synonyms
Etymology
The first recorded use of the name chimpanzee dates to 1738.
The name is derived from an unspecified Bantu language of Angola (compare Vili ci-mpenzi), probably brought to the English language via French chimpanzé.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An african ape (Anthropithecus troglodytes or Troglodytes niger) which approaches more nearly to man, in most respects, than any other ape. When full grown, it is from three to four feet high.
Etymology [From the native name: cf. F. chimpanzé, chimpansé, chimpanzée.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “chimpanzee”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details