anthropoid
- noun
- /ˈænθrəˌpɔɪd/
- Offensive
:
simio
- The old photograph showed an anthropoid figure resembling our distant ancestors in both appearance and behavior.
Examples
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This is a boneheaded Stone Age mouth breathing anthropoid, a high placed official source said.
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The Anthropoid, a man-like creatures perhaps, but quite incorrect to call it human.
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In the zoo, the visitors marveled at the anthropoid that moved with such grace, almost like a human.
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Scientists study the anthropoid for its unique features that mirror those of early hominids.
Synonyms
48
7.9
An insulting name for a person compared to a monkey because of their looks or behaviour
Compounds
- Specialized
A large tailless animal like a gorilla or chimpanzee that is more like humans than other monkeys
Surface Forms
Morphology
anthropoid = anthropo- (semi-transparent) = anthropo + oid
Built from 'anthropo-' + '-oid' (resembling); the components are regular but the pejorative/person-descriptive sense requires cultural knowledge and may not be directly inferable to average learners.
Etymology
Anthropoid comes from an old Greek word anthropos meaning 'human' and the ending -oid meaning 'like' or 'shape'. Used about a person, anthropoid means someone who looks or moves 'ape-like', which explains the meaning.