primate
Ecclesiastical. an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.
Anthropology, Zoology. any of various worldwide omnivorous mammals of the order Primates, comprising, by modern classification, two suborders, the strepsirrhines (lemurs, lorises, and their allies) and the haplorhines (tarsiers, New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and apes, including humans), especially distinguished by the use of hands, varied locomotion, and complex behavior involving a high level of social interaction and cultural adaptability: many primates are strictly arboreal, but even among the numerous terrestrial species, some arboreal behavior is common.
Archaic. a chief or leader.
Origin of primate
1Other words from primate
- pri·ma·tal, adjective, noun
- pri·ma·tial [prahy-mey-shuhl], /praɪˈmeɪ ʃəl/, pri·mat·i·cal [prahy-mat-i-kuhl], /praɪˈmæt ɪ kəl/, adjective
Words Nearby primate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use primate in a sentence
Genetic studies of living primates have suggested that gibbon ancestors emerged by at least 20 million years ago in Africa.
A stray molar is the oldest known fossil from an ancient gibbon | Bruce Bower | September 8, 2020 | Science NewsMost reporters, myself included, were expecting non-human primates.
Neuralink’s Wildly Anticipated New Brain Implant: the Hype vs. the Science | Shelly Fan | September 1, 2020 | Singularity HubOur family, the hominids, included other primates that walked the Earth on two legs.
So to understand why men are taller than women, we may need to understand why we experience puberty when we do and what drives differences in estrogen use between primates.
Males Are the Taller Sex. Estrogen, Not Fights for Mates, May Be Why. | Christie Wilcox | June 8, 2020 | Quanta MagazineAt the time, no one knew that someone’s sneeze can infect local primates with colds and other viral diseases.
How to find the next pandemic virus before it finds us | Lindsey Konkel | April 30, 2020 | Science News For Students
No matter the name, the purported “anomalous primate” has long been the subject of a cycle of stories and skepticism.
The results are in and Homo habilis, our primate forebear, has won another round.
The Top 10 Diets of 2013 Are All Useless (Except to Book Publishers) | Kent Sepkowitz | December 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTBelieved to be around 16 years old at the time, the primate had endured a life in the entertainment business.
This Man Was Shocked When His Chimpanzee Sued Him | Jacqui Goddard | December 3, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTBut first a word on human lice, a noble symbiote who has been working the primate circuit for millions of years.
The well-dressed primate that stormed a Canadian IKEA over the weekend has been photo shopped into a Marc Jacobs ad on Tumblr.
Sarah Burton Claims Her OBE, The IKEA Monkey Gets The Marc Jacobs Treatment | The Fashion Beast Team | December 13, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThe primate evidently thought all fat things should be reserved for Englishmen like himself.
Ireland Under the Tudors, Vol. II (of 3) | Richard BagwellSir G. Gostwick soon after laid charges against the archbishop, which Henry quashed, and the primate was willing to forgive.
Fox's Book of Martyrs | John FoxeProbably the new responsibilities imposed upon him as primate of the English Church pressed upon his conscience.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume V | John LordThe Bishop of Chichester declared that Becket was primate no longer, as he had gone against the laws of the realm.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume V | John LordThe King doubtless made him primate of the English hierarchy in order that he might combine both offices.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume V | John Lord
British Dictionary definitions for primate (1 of 2)
/ (ˈpraɪmeɪt) /
any placental mammal of the order Primates, typically having flexible hands and feet with opposable first digits, good eyesight, and, in the higher apes, a highly developed brain: includes lemurs, lorises, monkeys, apes, and man
of, relating to, or belonging to the order Primates
Origin of primate
1Derived forms of primate
- primatial (praɪˈmeɪʃəl), adjective
British Dictionary definitions for primate (2 of 2)
/ (ˈpraɪmeɪt) /
another name for archbishop
Primate of all England the Archbishop of Canterbury
Primate of England the Archbishop of York
Origin of primate
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for primate
[ prī′māt′ ]
Any of various mammals of the order Primates, having a highly developed brain, eyes facing forward, a shortened nose and muzzle, and opposable thumbs. Primates usually live in groups with complex social systems, and their high intelligence allows them to adapt their behavior successfully to different environments. Lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans are primates.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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