Australoid

[ aw-struh-loid ]

noun

1. Anthropology. a descriptive category including principally the Australian Aboriginal peoples and sometimes including Papuans, Melanesians, various peoples, as Negritos, of the Philippines, Malay Peninsula, and Andaman Islands, and some of the tribes of central and southern India.

adjective

1. pertaining to or having the characteristics of the Australoids.

Australoid

/ ˈɒstrəˌlɔɪd /

adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or belonging to a supposed racial group that includes the native Australians and certain other peoples of southern Asia and the Pacific islands.

noun

1. any member of this racial group

Usage

The word Australoid and other words ending in -oid and relating to racial groups, such as Mongoloid , are controversial scientifically and best avoided. If you need to mention the ethnicity of indigenous peoples from this region it is preferable to use a specific name, or a widely accepted term such as indigenous Australians or Aboriginal peoples

Word History and Origins

Origin of Australoid¹

First recorded in 1860–65; variant of Australioid. See Australia, -oid

Example Sentences

This prevelence of body and face hair seems to conform to parts of Melanesia where it may be regarded as an Australoid element.

From Project Gutenberg

These features have been observed in western Melanesia, where, like hairiness, they suggest Australoid of archaic Caucasoid elements.

From Project Gutenberg

The Melanesian qualities are in part Negroid or Negritoid and in part Australoid.

From Project Gutenberg

The presence of Australoid suggestions need not mean that they come from Australia, but that they form a part of the Melanesian make-up.

From Project Gutenberg

Hooton describes the Melanesians as Oceanic Negroes whose composition includes Negrito, Australoid, "plus convex-nosed Mediterranean plus minor fractions of Malay and Polynesian."

From Project Gutenberg