baboon

noun

ba·​boon ba-ˈbün 

 chiefly British  bə-

: any of a genus (Papio) of large gregarious primates of Africa and southwestern Asia having a long square naked muzzle

also : any of several closely related primates

Illustration of baboon

Examples of baboon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The limestone deposit that had yielded the Taung Child, as the original Australopithecus became known, also contained the remains of all sorts of other creatures, including baboons, turtles, and hyraxes. —Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025

As the film's main protagonist and gladiator, Lucius sees the most battles both in and out of the arena, facing off against vicious baboons, rhinos, and even sharks, not to mention his human opponents. —Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 Nov. 2024

Dinner will be out in the wild accompanied by a talk about baboon intelligence and social habits; the Maasai learned a great deal about edible plants by watching baboons select which were safe to eat. —Laurie Werner, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024

The worms were discovered in dogs first and then later in cats and baboons. —Charles Schmidt, Scientific American, 29 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English babewin, from Middle French babouin, from baboue grimace

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing baboon

• baboon spider
• chacma baboon
• gelada baboon
• hamadryas baboon
• sacred baboon

Kids Definition

baboon

noun

ba·​boon ba-ˈbün 

: any of several large African and Asian monkeys having long squarish muzzles and usually short tails