chimpanzee

noun

chim·​pan·​zee (ˌ)chim-ˌpan-ˈzē How to pronounce chimpanzee (audio)
-pən-ˈzē,
-ˈpan-zē How to pronounce chimpanzee (audio)
 sometimes  (ˌ)shim-
: an anthropoid ape (Pan troglodytes) of equatorial Africa that is smaller and more arboreal than the gorilla compare bonobo

Illustration of chimpanzee

Illustration of chimpanzee

Examples of chimpanzee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Researchers used a weakened chimpanzee adenovirus to develop the vaccine. Anju Goel, Verywell Health, 9 May 2024 The three young chimpanzees belong to the Eagle Clan, a thriving community built around a massive multi-story tower constructed out of tree branches and logs, where Noa’s father Koro (Neil Sandilands), known as Master of Birds, oversees the eagles that protect the apes and hunt for food. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024 That there even was a Caesar is unknown to Noa (Owen Teague), a young chimpanzee whose father, Koro (Neil Sandilands) is leader of his clan and an avid breeder of birds. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 8 May 2024 Since then, researchers have also identified the disease in wild chimpanzees in West Africa and in British red squirrels. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 May 2024 For example, some chimpanzees chew bitter piths of the medicinal shrub Vernonia amygdalina to treat worm infections—and even detour from their normal foraging routes to seek out the plants. Bykermit Pattison, science.org, 2 May 2024 The need to make space for homes and farms is reducing the forest cover that helps sustain chimpanzees. Kang-Chun Cheng, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2024 Five million years later, chimpanzees and bonobos split. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024 For example, chimpanzees, our closest relatives, work together within their family network but not usually outside of it. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chimpanzee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Kongo dialect chimpenzi

First Known Use

1738, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chimpanzee was in 1738

Dictionary Entries Near chimpanzee

Cite this Entry

“Chimpanzee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chimpanzee. Accessed 15 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

chimpanzee

noun
chim·​pan·​zee ˌchim-ˌpan-ˈzē How to pronounce chimpanzee (audio) ˌshim- How to pronounce chimpanzee (audio)
chim-ˈpan-zē,
shim-
: an African ape that is related to the gorilla but is smaller and spends more of its time in trees

Medical Definition

chimpanzee

noun
chim·​pan·​zee ˌchim-ˌpan-ˈzē How to pronounce chimpanzee (audio) ˌshim- How to pronounce chimpanzee (audio)
-pən-; chim-ˈpan-zē,
shim-
: an anthropoid ape of the genus Pan (P. troglodytes) found in equatorial Africa that is smaller and more arboreal than the gorilla see bonobo

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