baboon
Americannoun
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baboons
plural
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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.
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a coarse, ridiculous, or brutish person, especially one of low intelligence.
noun
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Nouns
Etymology
Origin of baboon
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
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Explanation
A baboon is a type of African monkey. Baboons have long snouts that resemble dogs' muzzles. Baboons have thick fur, short tails, and prominent noses. They are ground-dwelling monkeys, and in the wild they form complex families and groups with higher- and lower-ranking members. If you visit a zoo with a primate area, you'll probably see baboons. The Old French word for baboon is baboin, or "ape," which might come from baboue, "muzzle" or "grimace."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Cape Town’s real estate has a baboon problem.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Indeed, the Jane Goodall Institute now runs a longstanding baboon research project based partly on the fact that baboons are important chimpanzee prey.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2025
“They were showing Ridley the baboon because it was an interesting anatomical structure,” Bakowski recalls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
In this study, the researchers examined a collection of baboon mummies from the ancient Egyptian site of Gabbanat el-Qurud, the so-called Valley of the Monkeys on the west bank of Luxor.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 6, 2023
Taking a large stick, the head baboon went up to the sleeping lion and hit him firmly on the nose.
From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith
Living in nomadic groups, the men use handmade bows and arrows to hunt Cape buffalo, baboons and the rodent-like hyrax.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
Indeed, the Jane Goodall Institute now runs a longstanding baboon research project based partly on the fact that baboons are important chimpanzee prey.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2025
Goodall, in removing the barriers, raised primatology to new heights, opening the way for research on subjects ranging from political coalitions among baboons to the use of deception by an array of primates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
Zoos in other countries that baboons had previously been sent to had also reached capacity and contraception measures had failed to slow the population growth, the zoo said.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2025
That’s all they were—the baboons and warthogs and antelopes scared crazy by the fire.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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