primate
Use Primate in a sentence
meɪt noun
1.
Ecclesiastical. an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.
2.
any of various omnivorous mammals of the order Primates, comprising the three suborders Anthropoidea (humans, great apes, gibbons, Old World monkeys, and New World monkeys), Prosimii (lemurs, loris, and their allies), and Tarsioidea (tarsiers), especially distinguished by the use of hands, varied locomotion, and by complex flexible behavior involving a high level of social interaction and cultural adaptability.
3.
Archaic. a chief or leader.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English primat dignitary, religious leader < Late Latin prīmāt- (stem of prīmās), noun use of Latin prīmās of first rank, derivative of prīmus first (see prime); (def 2) taken as singular of Neo-Latin Primates Primates, as if ending in -ate1
1175–1225; Middle English primat dignitary, religious leader < Late Latin prīmāt- (stem of prīmās), noun use of Latin prīmās of first rank, derivative of prīmus first (see prime); (def 2) taken as singular of Neo-Latin Primates Primates, as if ending in -ate1
Related forms
pri·ma·tal, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To primate
00:10
Primate
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
primate1 (ˈpraɪmeɪt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | any placental mammal of the order Primates, typically having flexible hands and feet with opposable first digits, good eyesight, and, in the higher apes, a highly developed brain: includes lemurs, lorises, monkeys, apes, and man |
| —adj | |
| 2. | of, relating to, or belonging to the order Primates |
| [C18: from New Latin primates, plural of prīmās principal, from prīmus first] | |
| primatial1 | |
| —adj | |
| primate2 (ˈpraɪmeɪt) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | another name for archbishop |
| 2. | Primate of all England the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| 3. | Primate of England the Archbishop of York |
| [C13: from Old French, from Latin prīmās principal, from prīmus first] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
primate
"high bishop," c.1200, from M.L. primas (gen. primatis) "church primate," from L.L. adj. primas "of the first rank, chief, principal," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)). Meaning "biological order including monkeys and humans" is 1898, from Mod.L. Primates (Linnæus), from pl. of L. primas so
called from supposedly being the "highest" order of mammals (originally also including bats). Hence, primatology "the study of Primates" (1941).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
primate pri·mate (prī'māt')
n.
A mammal of the order Primates, which includes the anthropoids and prosimians, characterized by refined development of the hands and feet, a shortened snout, and a large brain.
pri·ma'tial (-mā'shəl) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| primate (prī'māt') Pronunciation Key
Any of various mammals of the order Primates, having a highly developed brain, eyes facing forward, a shortened nose and muzzle, and opposable thumbs. Primates usually live in groups with complex social systems, and their high intelligence allows them to adapt their behavior successfully to different environments. Lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans are primates. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Then they excluded human genes that also exist in primate relatives, but are disabled.
Other animals may whimper, moan and wail, but none sheds tears of emotion--not even our closest primate cousins.
Orangutans, those red-haired knuckle-dragging apes, are loping today into the upper echelons of the primate hierarchy.
Primate brains have not always gotten bigger as they evolved, according to new research.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
