colobus

[ kol-uh-buhs, kuh-loh- ]

noun

, plural col·o·bus·es, col·o·bi [kol, -, uh, -bahy, k, uh, -, loh, -bahy].

1. any of several large, slender African monkeys of the genus Colobus, lacking thumbs and having long silky fur of black and white ( C. polykomos ), black and reddish-brown ( C. badius ), or olive ( C. verus ): now dwindling.

colobus

/ ˈkɒləbəs /

noun

1. any leaf-eating arboreal Old World monkey of the genus Colobus, of W and central Africa, having a slender body, long silky fur, long tail, and reduced or absent thumbs

Word History and Origins

Origin of colobus¹

1811; < New Latin, the genus name < Greek kolobós docked, maimed; so named from the mutilated appearance of the thumbless hands

Word History and Origins

Origin of colobus¹

C19: New Latin, from Greek kolobos cut short; referring to its thumb

Example Sentences

The two papers call for scientific communities, governments and funding agencies to support red colobus conservation efforts and step up financial backing of research field stations.

From Science Daily

We look after over 500 animals, from 93 different species, including zebras, flamingos, colobus monkeys, crocodiles, rainbow lorikeets, and we have 19 penguins arriving in May.

From BBC

The struggle becomes even more evident when we look at endangered species like the Tana River red colobus.

From Salon

Nearby, spider monkeys glided through a canopy of ropes, and a black-and-white colobus lazily munched on a lettuce leaf.

From Los Angeles Times

From Londorosi, we climbed for about 2½ hours through dense jungle, serenaded by large, black-and-white colobus monkeys that roamed the canopy above.

From Los Angeles Times