baboon

[ ba-boonor, especially British, buh- ]

noun

1. 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.
2. a coarse, ridiculous, or brutish person, especially one of low intelligence.

baboon

/ bəˈbuːn /

noun

1. any of several medium-sized omnivorous Old World monkeys of the genus Papio (or Chaeropithecus ) and related genera, inhabiting open rocky ground or wooded regions of Africa. They have an elongated muzzle, large teeth, and a fairly long tail See also hamadryas gelada

Other Words From

• ba·boonish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of baboon¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of baboon¹

C14 babewyn gargoyle, later, baboon, from Old French babouin , from baboue grimace; related to Old French babine a thick lip

Example Sentences

The Taco Bell amethyst does not come with hair of baboon nor feather of swallow, but it does come on a necklace, with a drip of gold that feels like the name of the sun, so protection there is!

From Eater

The counseling business she leads connects those would-be travelers with a breadth of possibilities, such as baboon research and language immersion.

From Washington Post

Her study subjects have included captive rhesus macaques and wild baboons.

From Science News

The population of baboons that I study in Kenya actually sits right at the edge of where the ranges of two different species of baboons meet.

From Science News

Baby chimpanzees and baboons cling to the fronts or wide backs of their mothers.

From Nautilus

“I find ‘the baboon’ suits him better than his real name,” she adds caustically.

From The Daily Beast

In the book, Strauss-Kahn is identified only as the “pig,” “baboon,” or “baboon-man.”

From The Daily Beast

She writes, “the baboon-man is my psoriasis... an illness that sticks to the skin and only wakes up when you no longer expect it.”

From The Daily Beast

I am an Afrikaner and I want to show that baboon Julius Malema.

From The Daily Beast

A country squire introduced his baboon, in clerical habits, to say grace.

From Project Gutenberg

The baboon immediately came down, and it was remarkable how he brought down the basket without upsetting it.

From Project Gutenberg

An officer who was visiting Le Vaillant, wishing to try the affection of the baboon for his master, pretended to strike him.

From Project Gutenberg

The papio, the first baboon; the mandrill, the second; and the ouanderou, the third.

From Project Gutenberg

They have a long muzzle, a short tail, and are nearly of the same size as the baboon, but their hind parts seem to be more feeble.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• monkey