indri

American  

[in-dree] / ˈɪn dri /

noun

plural

indris

1. a short-tailed lemur, Indri indri, of Madagascar, about 2 feet (60 centimeters) in length: an endangered species.

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Etymology

Origin of indri

First recorded in 1830–40; from French indri, Malagasy indry “look!,” wrongly taken as animal's name

Example Sentences

Elizabeth St. Clair, a biological anthropologist at Johns Hopkins University who studies the evolution of the primate vocal tract, says she was surprised by the rhythmic similarities between indri and human songs.

From Scientific American • Oct. 25, 2021

Scientists now say they have discovered one of the hallmarks of the skill in the fluffy, black-and-white indri lemur, a species distantly related to humans and only found in Madagascar.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 25, 2021

Dissecting indri songs indicates these animals share an underlying sense of rhythm with humans, but it raises more questions about how indris communicate.

From Scientific American • Oct. 25, 2021

You’ll also meet mouse lemurs, the smallest variety; indri, the largest; ring-tailed, popular in zoos; and sifakas, which appear to be gamboling to Mark Mothersbaugh’s soundtrack like Madagascar’s dance-floor kings.

From New York Times • Apr. 10, 2014

After a few minutes, the indri gives a high-pitched, sustained cry � a spacing call, a warning to any other indri in the area, and a sound that stays with you.

From Time Magazine Archive