pongo

/ ˈpɒŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. an anthropoid ape, esp an orang-utan or (formerly) a gorilla
2. slang.
   military a soldier or marine

Word History and Origins

Origin of pongo¹

C17: from Kongo mpongo

Example Sentences

The flaming-orange-haired primates are the only great ape native to Asia, and the Bornean orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, has long represented the soul of Gunung Palung while playing a crucial role in the health of its forests.

From National Geographic

A relative of today’s orangutan, Pongo weidenreichi, lived through whatever changes had doomed Gigantopithecus.

From National Geographic

Prior to 700,000 years ago, Gigantopithecus and Pongo weidenreichi lived in forests with overhead canopies where they ate leaves, fruits, and flowers, with delectable vegetation available much of the year round.

From National Geographic

Meanwhile Pongo weidenreichi changed its diet to subsist on fibrous plants that were more readily available.

From National Geographic

That finding made the extinction of G. blacki all the more puzzling, because it shared the region with an orangutan species, Pongo weidenreichi, whose relatives survive in Southeast Asia.

From Science Magazine