[prahy-mey-teez] 
| the order comprising the primates. |
[prahy-meyt or, especially for 1, prahy-mit] | 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), 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. |
[prahy-mey-shuhl] , pri⋅mat⋅i⋅cal [prahy-mat-i-kuhl] , adjective | pri·mate (prī'mĭt, -māt') n.
[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 order of mammals that includes monkeys, apes, and human beings. Primates are distinguished from other animals in that they generally possess limbs capable of performing a variety of functions, hands and feet adapted for grasping (including opposable thumbs), flattened snouts, and other anatomical features. (See Linnean classification.)
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.