orangutan

noun

orang·​u·​tan ə-ˈraŋ-ə-ˌtaŋ 

-ˈraŋ-gə-,

-ˌtan 

: any of several largely herbivorous arboreal anthropoid apes (Pongo pygmaeus, P. abelii, and P. tapanuliensis) of Borneo and Sumatra that are about ²/₃ as large as the gorilla and have brown skin, long sparse reddish-brown hair, and very long arms

Illustration of orangutan

Examples of orangutan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The island is home to some of the most iconic, and unusual, mammals on Earth, species like orangutans, pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys with their bulbous noses. —Mihir Zaveri, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025

In another instance of self-medication, scientists recently witnessed an orangutan heal his own wound. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024

The study authors likened the difference between the ancient species to that of modern gibbons and orangutans, which live together in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra in a behavior called sympatry. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 June 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

Word History

Etymology

Bazaar Malay (Malay-based pidgin), from Malay orang man + hutan forest

First Known Use

1691, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

orangutan

noun

orang·​utan

ə-ˈraŋ-ə-ˌtaŋ,

-ˌtan

: a large anthropoid ape of Borneo and Sumatra that is about ⅔ as large as a gorilla, eats mostly plants, lives in trees, and has very long arms, long thin reddish brown hair, and a nearly hairless face