colobus

American  

[kol-uh-buhs, kuh-loh-] / ˈkɒl ə bəs, kəˈloʊ- /

noun

plural

colobuses, colobi

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.

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colobus British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of colobus

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

Example Sentences

"One of the primates at our field station is a red colobus species that is endangered," McGraw said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2024

Black and white colobus monkeys also fed on the guano 65 times, and red duiker antelopes licked it 682 times.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 22, 2024

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

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2023

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 • Dec. 15, 2022

These were colobus monkeys, and sometimes one would come down from a tree and scuttle across the meadow near the tent, watching them with alert, intelligent eyes.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston