hoolock gibbon

noun

hoo·​lock gibbon ˈhü-ˌläk- How to pronounce hoolock gibbon (audio)
-lək-
variants or hoolock
plural hoolock gibbons also hoolocks
: a forest-dwelling gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) of Eastern Bangladesh, northeastern India, and western Myanmar
also : a closely related gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) of southern China and northeastern Myanmar

Note: Taxonomic classification remains unsettled with the hoolock gibbons often considered to be subspecies of a single species (Hoolock hoolock or Bunopithecus hoolock).

Word History

Etymology

native name in northeastern India or Burma

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Cite this Entry

“Hoolock gibbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoolock%20gibbon. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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