primate

[ prahy-meyt prahy-mit ]

noun

1. Ecclesiastical. an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.
2. 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.
3. Archaic. a chief or leader.

primate

¹

/ praɪˈmeɪʃəl; ˈpraɪmeɪt /

noun

1. 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

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the order Primates

primate

²

/ ˈpraɪmeɪt /

noun

1. another name for archbishop
2. Primate of all England
   the Archbishop of Canterbury
3. Primate of England
   the Archbishop of York

primate

/ prī′māt′ /

1. 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.

Derived Forms

• primatial, adjective

Other Words From

• pri·matal adjective noun
• pri·ma·tial [prahy-, mey, -sh, uh, l], pri·mat·i·cal [prahy-, mat, -i-k, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of primate¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, Anglo-French, Old French primat “dignitary, religious leader, archbishop,” from Late Latin prīmāt- (stem of prīmās ), noun use of Latin prīmās “of first rank, principal, chief,” derivative of prīmus “first”; primate ( def 2 ) taken as singular of New Latin Primātēs, name of the taxonomic order; -ate as if from the suffix -ate ; prime, Primates, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of primate¹

C18: from New Latin primates, plural of prīmās principal, from prīmus first

Origin of primate²

C13: from Old French, from Latin prīmās principal, from prīmus first

Example Sentences

The rhesus macaque fugitives busted out of Alpha Genesis, a company that breeds primates for medical testing and research, and are on the loose in a part of the state known as the Lowcountry.

From BBC

Autopsies have found a large amount of sepsis-inducing bacteria that likely came from contaminated soil near the primates' enclosures, authorities said.

From BBC

A few other studies have used an index similar to the human adverse childhood experiences score with wild primates and hyenas, with largely similar results.

From Salon

Both parents are part of a European Breeding Programme and this is the fourth year running the park has managed to breed these primates.

From BBC

It begins with the fact that as primates, as animals, we are hardwired to take care of human babies and other small, helpless creatures.

From Salon