51Թ

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primate

[prahy-meyt, prahy-mit]

noun

  1. Ecclesiastical.an archbishop or bishop ranking first among the bishops of a province or country.

  2. 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.

  3. Archaic.a chief or leader.



primate

1

/ praɪˈmeɪʃəl, ˈɪɪ /

noun

  1. 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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or belonging to the order Primates

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

primate

2

/ ˈɪɪ /

noun

  1. another name for archbishop

  2. the Archbishop of Canterbury

  3. the Archbishop of York

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

primate

  1. 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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Other 51Թ Forms

  • primatal adjective
  • primatial adjective
  • primatical adjective
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51Թ 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 ī- (stem of ī ), noun use of Latin ī “of first rank, principal, chief,” derivative of īܲ “f”; primate ( def. 2 ) taken as singular of New Latin ʰŧ, name of the taxonomic order; -ate as if from the suffix -ate ; prime, Primates, -ate 1
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of primate1

C18: from New Latin primates, plural of ī principal, from īܲ first

Origin of primate2

C13: from Old French, from Latin ī principal, from īܲ first
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O’Rourke, former U.S.

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Looking at similarities and differences between our closest living relatives, primates, can provide clues into whether music shares a common ancestral origin.

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The primate, who has since been named Azules, was transported to the zoo in critical condition — suffering from malnourishment, skin and coat issues and an upper respiratory infection.

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“The Legend of Ochi,” released in theaters nationwide on April 25 and available to stream starting May 20, follows one tween’s quest to return an injured blue-faced baby primate to its home.

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Further studies showed how important this reconciling behavior is for primate health, reducing indicators of stress like an elevated heart rate.

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primary xylemPrimate of All England