ba·boon

[ba-boon or, esp. British, buh-]
noun
1.
any of various large, terrestrial monkeys of the genus Papio and related genera, of Africa and Arabia, having a doglike muzzle, large cheek pouches, and a short tail.
2.
a coarse, ridiculous, or brutish person, especially one of low intelligence.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English baboyne, babewyn grotesque figure, gargoyle, late Middle English: baboon (compare Anglo-Latin babevynus) < Middle French babouin, akin to babine pendulous lip, derivative of an expressive base *bab- grimace

ba·boon·ish, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Baboon is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
Collins
World English Dictionary
baboon (bəˈbuːn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
hamadryas See also gelada any of several medium-sized omnivorous Old World monkeys of the genus Papio (or Chaeropithecus) and related genera, inhabiting open rocky ground or wooded regions of Africa. They have an elongated muzzle, large teeth, and a fairly long tail
 
[C14 babewyn gargoyle, later, baboon, from Old French babouin, from baboue grimace; related to Old French babine a thick lip]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

baboon
type of ape, c.1400, babewyn, earlier "a grotesque figure used in architecture or decoration" (early 14c.), from Fr. babouin "baboon," from O.Fr. baboin "ape," earlier "simpleton, dimwit, fool" (13c.), also "gaping figure (such as a gargoyle)," so probably from O.Fr. baboue "grimacing;" or perhaps it
is imitative of the ape's babbling speech-like cries. Ger. Pavian "baboon" is from Du. baviaan, from M.Du. baubijn, a borrowing of the O.Fr. word.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

baboon definition


  1. n.
    a jerk; a stupid person. (Also a rude term of address.) : Tell that ugly baboon to get out of here.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
It's certainly happened in the presence of a mongoose and baboon, but neither mammal reacted.
At one zoo, an entire baboon troop gathered on top of their rock, all staring in exactly the same direction.
Reading a baboon's mind affords an excellent grasp of the dynamics of baboon society.
Think baboon-dinosaurs besieging your local gas-mart.
Images for baboon
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