chimpanzee
noun
chim·pan·zee
| \ (ˌ)chim-ˌpan-ˈzē
, -pən-ˈzē, -ˈpan-zē
, sometimes (ˌ)shim-\
, -pən-ˈzē, -ˈpan-zē
, sometimes (ˌ)shim-\
Definition of chimpanzee
: an anthropoid ape (Pan troglodytes) of equatorial Africa that is smaller and more arboreal than the gorilla — compare bonobo
Illustration of chimpanzee
Examples of chimpanzee in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hundreds of chimpanzees in such a space would quickly be ripping one another limb from limb. — John Hawks, WSJ, "‘The Goodness Paradox’ Review: The Benefits of Good Breeding," 25 Jan. 2019 Goodall is best known as a primatologist/anthropologist and the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, after spending more than 55 years studying wild chimps at the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. — Maria Puente, USA TODAY, "Prince Harry 'dances' with his hero, Dr. Jane Goodall, at conservation summit," 23 July 2019 Harry, 34, met with Dr. Goodall, the renowned conservationist famous for her study of social interactions of wild chimpanzees, before learning about the Roots & Shoots program. — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Prince Harry Reenacts a 'Chimp Greeting' with Dr. Jane Goodall — See the Hilarious Moment!," 23 July 2019 Human activity is destroying the cultural diversity of chimpanzees. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 22 July 2019 Most of the chimpanzees in Tanzania are not protected. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Chimp champ Jane Goodall enlists advanced mapping technology for nature and humanity," 9 July 2019 This is the first time than any chimpanzee has been documented eating any kind of reptile. — Douglas Main, National Geographic, "In a first, chimpanzees seen smashing and eating tortoises," 23 May 2019 Humans are not alone in being much more peaceful on the whole than chimpanzees. — John Hawks, WSJ, "‘The Goodness Paradox’ Review: The Benefits of Good Breeding," 25 Jan. 2019 Instead, these researchers say, the origins of such social systems extend at least as far back as the common ancestor of humans and gorillas, but were lost in chimpanzees. — Virginia Morell, Science | AAAS, "Gorillas have developed humanlike social structure, controversial study suggests," 17 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chimpanzee.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for chimpanzee
chimpanzee
noun
English Language Learners Definition of chimpanzee
: an intelligent animal that is a type of ape and that lives mostly in trees in Africa
See the full definition for chimpanzee in the English Language Learners Dictionary
chimpanzee
noun
chim·pan·zee
| \ ˌchim-ˌpan-ˈzē
, chim-ˈpan-zē\
, chim-ˈpan-zē\
Kids Definition of chimpanzee
: an African ape that lives mostly in trees and is smaller than the related gorilla
chimpanzee
noun
chim·pan·zee
| \ ˌchim-ˌpan-ˈzē
, ˌshim-
, -pən-; chim-ˈpan-zē, shim-\
, ˌshim-
, -pən-; chim-ˈpan-zē, shim-\
Medical Definition of chimpanzee
: an anthropoid ape of the genus Pan (P. troglodytes) found in equatorial Africa that is smaller and more arboreal than the gorilla — see bonobo
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