primate definition | Dictionary.com

pri⋅mate

[prahy-meyt or, especially for 1, prahy-mit]

–noun

1.	Ecclesiastical. an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.

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), esp. 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; ME primat dignitary, religious leader < LL prīmāt- (s. of prīmās), n. use of L prīmās of first rank, deriv. of prīmus first (see prime ); (def. 2) taken as sing. of NL Primates Primates, as if ending in -ate ¹

Related forms:

pri⋅ma⋅tal, adjective, noun

pri⋅ma⋅tial [prahy-mey-shuh

, pri⋅mat⋅i⋅cal [prahy-mat-i-kuh

, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To primate

pri·mate (prī'mĭt, -māt')

(prī'māt') 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.
A bishop of highest rank in a province or country.

[From New Latin Prīmātēs, order name, from Latin prīmātēs, pl. of prīmās, principal, of first rank, from prīmus, first; see per¹ in Indo-European roots. Sense 2, from Middle English primat, from Old French, from Medieval Latin prīmās, prīmāt-, from Latin.]
pri·ma'tial (-mā'shəl) adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Primate

Pri"mate\, n. [OE. primat, F. primat, L. primas, -atis one of the first, chief, fr. primus the first. See Prime, a.]

1. The chief ecclesiastic in a national church; one who presides over other bishops in a province; an archbishop.

2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the Primates.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : primate

Spanish: primado,

German: der Primas,

Japanese: 大司教

More Translations »

primate

"high bishop," c.1205, 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).

Main Entry: pri·mate
Pronunciation: 'prI-"mAt
Function: noun
: any mammal of the order Primates

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.

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.

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