loris

American  

[lawr-is, lohr-] / ˈlɔr ɪs, ˈloʊr- /

noun

1. any of various small, arboreal, nocturnal mammals of the family Lorisidae, with large eyes and lacking a tail, comprising two genera, Loris (theslender lorises ) and Nycticebus (theslow lorises ).

---

loris British  

/ ˈlɔːrɪs /

noun

1. any of several omnivorous nocturnal slow-moving prosimian primates of the family Lorisidae, of S and SE Asia, esp Loris tardigradus ( slow loris ) and Nycticebus coucang ( slender loris ), having vestigial digits and no tails

---

Etymology

Origin of loris

First recorded in 1765–75; from New Latin; the genus name, from Dutch loeris “simpleton,” equivalent to loer “stupid person” (from French lourd “heavy, clumsy,” from Latin lūridus ) + -is; see origin at lurid, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

All slow loris species are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

Pygmy slow loris are a species of primate that comes from the rainforests and bamboo thickets of Vietnam, Laos, eastern Cambodia and southern China.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025

Interest is growing in a new waste management system, and as this environmental awareness trickles down the mountain, so does the plight of the slow loris.

From The Guardian • Oct. 13, 2020

The Zoo The slow loris has only a tiny window of time for breeding, so staff help a potential pair connect at just the right moment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2018

Their most peculiar forms are the macaws on the one hand, and the brush-tailed loris on the other.

From The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, September 1879 by Various