tarsier

[ tahr-see-er, -see-ey ]

noun

1. any member of the three genera ( Carlito , Cephalopachus , Tarsius ) of the family Tarsiidae, inhabiting Indonesia, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian islands, characterized as a small, arboreal, nocturnal primate with velvety fur, very large eyes, a long tail, and very long hind limbs: all populations are dwindling and considered vulnerable to extinction.

tarsier

/ ˈtɑːsɪə /

noun

1. any of several nocturnal arboreal prosimian primates of the genus Tarsius, of Indonesia and the Philippines, having huge eyes, long hind legs, and digits ending in pads to facilitate climbing: family Tarsiidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of tarsier¹

First recorded in 1770–75; from French, equivalent to tarse “ankle bones, tarsus” + -ier; so named for its extremely long tarsi by Georges Buffon; tarsus, -ier ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of tarsier¹

C18: from French, from tarse the flat of the foot; see tarsus

Example Sentences

There are more than 500 species of primates, including lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, Old and New World monkeys, the "small apes" - gibbons and siamangs - and the "great apes" - orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos.

From Reuters

In the island forests of the western Pacific, there’s an otherworldly animal known as the Philippine tarsier.

From National Geographic

Sulawesi is home to species found nowhere else, including vibrant hornbills, miniature water buffalo, tusked deer-pigs and some tarsiers, a small, nocturnal primate.

From Washington Post

The tarsier is a diminutive South East Asian primate with eyes that are each as big as its brain.

From BBC

These were small, tarsier like primates related to the ancestry of the greater haplorine group to which we belong.

From Scientific American