slow loris

American  

[sloh lawr-is] / ˈsloʊ ˈlɔr ɪs /

noun

1. any of a group of lorises of the genus Nycticebus, found in Southeast Asia and characterized by a toxic bite, slow and quiet movement, and distinct patterns of color that vary from species to species: all slow lorises, noted as stockier than the slender lorises, are considered vulnerable or endangered.

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Etymology

Origin of slow loris

First recorded in 1880–85

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

The main threat to the slow loris is habitat loss.

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

“I could imagine something with the face of a gibbon but moving much more slowly than a gibbon, like a slow loris atop the branches … eventually being able to suspend below them,” Alba says.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 29, 2015