anthropoids

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralbiologytechnical

   The group of primates that includes monkeys, apes and humans, as opposed to lemurs and similar animals.

   Grammar: Plural of anthropoid; also the name of a suborder.

   Patterns

   • anthropoids and prosimians

   Anthropoids include monkeys, apes and humans.

   Scientists compare anthropoids with prosimians to study evolution.

   Fossils of early anthropoids were found in Africa.

2. 2nounpluralold-fashioned

   The great apes, such as gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans, in older or less formal usage.

   Grammar: Older, narrower usage meaning tailless apes.

   Patterns

   • great anthropoids

   Early naturalists called gorillas and chimps anthropoids.

   The zoo's anthropoids drew large crowds.

   Several anthropoids in the sanctuary use simple tools.

Word forms

Common combinations

higher anthropoids

Higher anthropoids include apes and humans.

early anthropoids

Early anthropoids lived millions of years ago.

fossil anthropoids

Fossil anthropoids reveal how primates changed.

anthropoid ape

The gibbon is an anthropoid ape.

study anthropoids

She studies anthropoids in the rainforest.

Synonyms and how they differ

primates

Primates is wider and includes lemurs and tarsiers, while anthropoids are the monkey, ape and human branch.

apes

Apes excludes monkeys, whereas anthropoids includes both.

simians

Simians is another word for monkeys and apes and is slightly more literary.

Opposites

Word family

anthropoid noun

one member of the group

anthropoid adjective

resembling a human or ape

anthropology noun

the study of humans

anthropological adjective

relating to anthropology

Commonly confused: anthropoids or hominids?

Practice

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