gibbon

noun

gib·​bon ˈgi-bən How to pronounce gibbon (audio)
: any of a family (Hylobatidae) of agile brachiating tailless apes of southeastern Asia that are the smallest and most arboreal anthropoid apes

Illustration of gibbon

Illustration of gibbon

Examples of gibbon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One of the Racine Zoo's longest-term residents — Yule, a male white-handed gibbon — has died. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2024 More than 1 million people visit the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden each year to see the hippos bob in and out of clear water, hear gibbons howl above the treetops, smell the elephants covered in dirt. Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024 And although an earlier Scientific Reports study described female gibbons in China dancing to compete for male attention, the apes in this new study danced in a variety of contexts and even directed their performances toward human keepers. Phie Jacobs, science.org, 17 Sep. 2024 According to a recent article from conservation news site Mongabay, for every one gibbon that becomes a pet, seven are killed in the wild to acquire it. Megan Ross, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gibbon 

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gibbon was in 1774

Dictionary Entries Near gibbon

Cite this Entry

“Gibbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gibbon. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

gibbon

noun
gib·​bon ˈgib-ən How to pronounce gibbon (audio)
: any of several tailless apes of southeastern Asia that are smaller and spend more time in trees than the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan

Biographical Definition

Gibbon

biographical name

Gib·​bon ˈgi-bən How to pronounce Gibbon (audio)
Edward 1737–1794 English historian
Gibbonesque adjective
or Gibbonian

More from Merriam-Webster on gibbon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!