Go ape
noun
1.
any of a group of anthropoid primates characterized by long arms, a broad chest, and the absence of a tail, comprising the family Pongidae (great ape) which includes the chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan, and the family Hylobatidae (lesser ape) which includes the gibbon and siamang.
2.
(loosely) any primate except humans.
3.
an imitator; mimic.
4.
Informal. a big, ugly, clumsy person.
verb (used with object)
5.
to imitate; mimic: to ape another's style of writing.
00:10
Go ape
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
6.
go ape, Slang. to become violently emotional: When she threatened to leave him, he went ape.
7.
go ape over, Slang. to be extremely enthusiastic about: They go ape over old rock music.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English apa; cognate with Old Saxon apo, Old Norse api, Old High German affo (German Affe)
before 900; Middle English; Old English apa; cognate with Old Saxon apo, Old Norse api, Old High German affo (German Affe)
Related forms
ape·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To go ape
Collins
World English Dictionary
ape (eɪp) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | See anthropoid ape See also great ape any of various primates, esp those of the family Pongidae, in which the tail is very short or absent |
| 2. | (not in technical use) any monkey |
| 3. | an imitator; mimic |
| 4. | informal (US) a coarse, clumsy, or rude person |
| —vb | |
| 5. | (tr) to imitate |
| [Old English apa; related to Old Saxon ape, Old Norse api, Old High German affo] | |
| 'apelike | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
ape
O.E. apa, from P.Gmc. *apan (cf. O.S. apo, O.N. api, Du. aap, Ger. affe), perhaps borrowed in P.Gmc. from Celtic (cf. O.Ir. apa) or Slavic (cf. O.Bohemian op, Slovak opitza), probably ult. from a non-I.E. language. The verb "to imitate" (1630s) is implied in to play the ape (1570s), and the noun sense
of "one who mimics" may date from early 13c. Aping "imitation" is recorded from 1680s. Ape-man, hypothetical "missing link," is from 1879, in a translation of Haeckel. To go ape (in emphatic form, go apeshit) "go crazy" is 1955, U.S. slang. To lead apes in hell (1570s) was the fancied fate of one who died an old maid.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
ape definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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go ape (over (so/sth)) definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| APE acute pulmonary edema |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Ape definition
an animal of the monkey tribe (1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chr. 9:21). It was brought from India by the fleets of Solomon and Hiram, and was called by the Hebrews _koph_, and by the Greeks _kepos_, both words being just the Indian Tamil name of the monkey, kapi, i.e., swift, nimble, active. No species of ape has ever been found in Palestine or the adjacent regions.
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
go ape
Become wildly excited or enthusiastic. For example, The audience went ape over the band. This idiom is a modern version of the older go berserk. It fancifully equates frenzy with an ape's behavior. [Second half of 1900s] Also see go bananas.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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