plural bonobos
: a rare anthropoid ape (Pan paniscus) that has a more slender build and longer limbs than the related common chimpanzee (P. troglodytes) and that inhabits a small geographic region in equatorial Africa south of the Congo River
called also pygmy chimpanzee
Examples of bonobo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Key among potential insights is what bonobos can teach researchers about humans.
—
Dennis Romero, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2024
Caesar, the ape revolutionary who led the chimps, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and gibbons to dominance in the reboot trilogy, is long dead by the time Kingdom’s action begins.
—James Grebey, TIME, 10 May 2024
Such behavior doesn’t appear to be a turn-off for female bonobos, who prefer to mate with more combative males—although bonobo matriarchs may limit the males’ aggressive outbursts, the authors suggest.
—science.org, 8 Apr. 2020
Planet of the Apes actor studied Elon Musk to play bonobo villain
The suit demands a jury trial and is seeking unspecified monetary damages.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bonobo 
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.
Dennis Romero, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2024
Caesar, the ape revolutionary who led the chimps, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and gibbons to dominance in the reboot trilogy, is long dead by the time Kingdom’s action begins.
—James Grebey, TIME, 10 May 2024
Such behavior doesn’t appear to be a turn-off for female bonobos, who prefer to mate with more combative males—although bonobo matriarchs may limit the males’ aggressive outbursts, the authors suggest.
—science.org, 8 Apr. 2020
Planet of the Apes actor studied Elon Musk to play bonobo villain
The suit demands a jury trial and is seeking unspecified monetary damages.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bonobo
Dictionary Entries Near bonobo
Cite this Entry
“Bonobo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonobo. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
bonobo
noun
bo·no·bo
bə-ˈnō-bō; ˈbä-nə-bō 
-nō-
-nō-
: a rare anthropoid ape of the genus Pan (P. paniscus) that has a more slender build and longer limbs than the related common chimpanzee (P. troglodytes)
called also pygmy chimpanzee
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share