olingo

[ oh-ling-goh ]

noun

, plural o·lin·gos.

1. any nocturnal, arboreal mammal of the genus Bassaricyon, having large eyes and a long, ringed tail, related to raccoons and coatis, and inhabiting tropical jungles from Nicaragua to Peru and Bolivia: olingos are similar in appearance to the kinkajou, but they lack the kinkajou’s prehensile tail and extrudable tongue.

Word History and Origins

Origin of olingo¹

First recorded in 1915–20; of unexplained origin

Example Sentences

One of Helgen’s main claims to fame was describing a new species of olingo, a small mammal related to the raccoon, which Helgen and his collaborators called the olinguito.

From The Verge

“They thought it was just a fussy olingo, but turns out it was completely the wrong species,” Helgen said.

From Washington Post

Its discovery is a story that goes back a decade ago to efforts by Smithsonian zoologist Kris­tofer M. Helgen to count the number of species of the olingo, a member of the raccoon family.

From Washington Post

Finally, he called upon Kays, the world’s resident olingo expert, to help him track down an olinguito in its natural habitat.

From Washington Post

“Olinguito” is Spanish for “little, adorable olingo,” he said at a Smithsonian Institution news conference announcing the discovery.

From Washington Post