pithecanthrope
- noun
- /ˌpɪθɪˈkænθroʊp/
- Archaic
:
hombre simio
- In the story, a pithecanthrope was blamed for the strange footprints found near the village.
Examples
-
Legends in the region speak of a mysterious pithecanthrope that avoids human contact.
-
The explorer claimed to have seen a pithecanthrope lurking in the dense jungle.
-
The pithecanthrope is a mythical creature.
-
Legends of the pithecanthrope are fascinating!
-
The local folklore tells tales of a pithecanthrope that roams the mountains at night.
-
In the legend, a pithecanthrope was said to guard the ancient treasure hidden deep in the cave.
-
The old book described a pithecanthrope as an apelike creature that once lived among humans.
Synonyms
64
8.6
A large, hairy creature like a human that people say lives in remote forests
1
8.1
A frightening creature from stories or legends that is not real
An early human with features between apes and people today
How Apelike
Surface Forms
Morphology
pithecanthrope = pithec + anthrop
The components are Greek combining forms rather than productive English morphemes, so the compound's meaning is not transparent to an average learner.
Etymology
Pithecanthrope comes from Greek parts pithekos ('ape') and anthropos ('man'), so it literally means 'ape-man'. That is why the word names a fictional, apelike human creature often found in stories and legends.