PRIMATE Definition & Meaning

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primate

[ prahy-meyt prahy-mit ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

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.

primate

/ praɪˈmeɪʃəl; ˈ��ɪ��ɪ�� /

noun

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

of, relating to, or belonging to the order Primates

primate

/ ˈ��ɪ��ɪ�� /

noun

another name for archbishop
Primate of all England
the Archbishop of Canterbury
Primate of England
the Archbishop of York

primate

/ ��ī′��′ /

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.

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Derived Forms

primatial, adjective

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Other �y��vlog Forms

��·��t�� adjective noun
��·��·�پ�� [prahy-, mey, -sh, uh, l], ��·��·��·�� [prahy-, mat, -i-k, uh, l], adjective

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�y��vlog 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 ��īmāt- (stem of ��īmās ), noun use of Latin ��īmās “of first rank, principal, chief,” derivative of ��īmus “f��”; primate ( def 2 ) taken as singular of New Latin �ʰ��ŧ��, name of the taxonomic order; -ate as if from the suffix -ate ; prime, Primates, -ate ¹

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of primate¹

C18: from New Latin primates, plural of ��īmās principal, from ��īmus first

Origin of primate²

C13: from Old French, from Latin ��īmās principal, from ��īmus first

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Instead, neuroscience has relied on the data gathered from doing such procedures on mouse and primate models.

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Non-human primates, including howler monkeys and sloths, can also be infected with Oropouche, which is why the disease is sometimes nicknamed “sloth fever.”

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Since then, they have helped primatologists, evolutionary biologists, and scientists of all kinds better understand primate behavior in a unique natural laboratory setting.

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We, on the other hand, will be long gone by then, shriveled by some far more minor cataclysm like the fragile little primates we are.

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There were radiations of hoofed mammals; of primates including our ancestors; of whales and dolphins; of the all-time biggest sharks.

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