baboon
Americannoun
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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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Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
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:
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
Lucius has a knack for showmanship, with moves he stole from Maximus, but he’s more feral, going tooth-to-tooth with a nasty baboon in a podunk ring outside the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024
Thoth, the god of learning and wisdom was represented by a hamadryas baboon.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2023
Whether you’re a human or an elephant, a baboon or a fish, adversity experienced early in life is often linked to negative effects on longevity and health in adulthood.
From Scientific American ● May 23, 2023
I moved up and could see the cage was completely empty, but I thought they had just moved the baboon to some other cage.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
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
A star-studded cast of Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn appear in the all-action clip, with Mescal seen facing off against rhinos and baboons.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2024
When she woke up in the night, she could hear the baboons murmuring among themselves on their rocky perches.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
