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: any of a family (Hylobatidae) of agile brachiating tailless apes of southeastern Asia that are the smallest and most arboreal anthropoid apes
Examples of gibbon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the Racine Zoo's longest-term residents — Yule, a male white-handed gibbon — has died.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2024
More than 1 million people visit the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden each year to see the hippos bob in and out of clear water, hear gibbons howl above the treetops, smell the elephants covered in dirt.
—Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024
And although an earlier Scientific Reports study described female gibbons in China dancing to compete for male attention, the apes in this new study danced in a variety of contexts and even directed their performances toward human keepers.
—Phie Jacobs, science.org, 17 Sep. 2024
According to a recent article from conservation news site Mongabay, for every one gibbon that becomes a pet, seven are killed in the wild to acquire it.
—Megan Ross, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
French
First Known Use
1774, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near gibbon
Cite this Entry
“Gibbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gibbon. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
gibbon
noun
gib·bon
ˈgib-ən
: any of several tailless apes of southeastern Asia that are smaller and spend more time in trees than the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan
Biographical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on gibbon
Nglish: Translation of gibbon for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gibbon
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