great ape

noun

plural great apes
: any of several large primates including the orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo that are classified in the same family (Hominidae) as humans

Examples of great ape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Well, a February study also by Isabelle Laumer and colleagues found that great apes like to tease, poke and pester each other too. Ryan McRae, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024 Discovered in the ultramafic mountains in central Sabah, the species was named for the orangutan, due to its hairs’ striking resemblance to the great ape’s long, dark, rusty-red hair. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024 Taxonomic classification puts humans in the order Primates (apes, monkeys, and lemurs) and in the family Hominidae (great apes), which, in addition to humans, includes chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024 In April a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill, the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, to prohibit invasive research on great apes, including chimps. The Editors, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2011 See all Example Sentences for great ape 

Word History

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of great ape was in 1771

Dictionary Entries Near great ape

Cite this Entry

“Great ape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20ape. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

great ape

noun
: any of a family of apes that includes the gorilla, orangutan, and chimpanzee

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