Barbary ape

noun

1. a tailless macaque, Macaca sylvanus, of mountain ranges in northwestern Africa, now greatly reduced in number: a small, managed colony of unknown origin is maintained on the Rock of Gibraltar.

Barbary ape

noun

1. a tailless macaque, Macaca sylvana , that inhabits rocky cliffs and forests in NW Africa and Gibraltar: family Cercopithecidae , order Primates

Word History and Origins

Origin of Barbary ape¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

The Barbary macaques, commonly known as Barbary apes, escaped from the zoo in Loeffingen, southwest of Stuttgart and not far from the Swiss border, the dpa news agency reported.

From Seattle Times

Farther along I was greeted by the wild Barbary apes that inhabit the Rock, the only free-roaming primates in Europe.

From New York Times

The Barbary apes roaming the Upper Rock were actually monkeys.

From The Guardian

Alas! the monkeys, who were the first inhabitants of the Rock—tailless Barbary apes—are now becoming scarce.

From Project Gutenberg

I've never as yet had the pleasure of hunting monkeys, or Barbary apes, or gorillas.

From Project Gutenberg