Illustration of macaque
: any of a genus (Macaca) of chiefly Asian monkeys typically having a sturdy build and including some short-tailed or tailless forms
especially
: rhesus monkey
Examples of macaque in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2022, a gang of free-roaming macaques reportedly terrorized townspeople in Yamaguchi, Japan, breaking into apartments, messing with crops, and injuring residents with scratches and bites.
—
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2025
The first of 43 macaques was captured on Nov. 9, two days after their escape.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025
The 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped after a caretaker failed to secure doors.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025
The monkeys that escaped are rhesus macaque primates, which have brown fur with red faces and ears.
—Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macaque
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Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2025
The first of 43 macaques was captured on Nov. 9, two days after their escape.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025
The 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped after a caretaker failed to secure doors.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025
The monkeys that escaped are rhesus macaque primates, which have brown fur with red faces and ears.
—Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macaque
Cite this Entry
“Macaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macaque. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
: any of various monkeys mostly from Asia that includes some with either short or no tails
especially
: rhesus monkey
Etymology
French, from Portuguese macaco, from makaku, plural of kaku, name for an African monkey in one or more Bantu languages of Gabon and Congo
Medical Definition
: any of numerous short-tailed Old World monkeys of the genus Macaca and related genera chiefly of southern Asia
especially
: rhesus monkey
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