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Glite Dictionary
brachiation

brachiation

1 9.9
A way of moving by swinging from branch to branch using the arms
  • noun
  • /ˌbreɪkiˈeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: braquiación
  • Gibbons are known for their remarkable brachiation through the forest canopy.

Examples

  • The study observed how different limb proportions affect brachiation in primates.

  • The monkey's brachiation skills are impressive.

  • Brachiation allows animals to travel quickly and efficiently among the trees.

  • Can you observe the brachiation of gibbons in the wild?

  • Gibbons use brachiation to move swiftly through the trees, swinging from branch to branch.

  • The monkey demonstrated brachiation by hanging from a branch and gracefully moving to another.

  • During a nature documentary, we observed a variety of animals practicing brachiation as they navigated the canopy.

Surface Forms

brachiation singular
brachiations plural

Morphology

brachiation = brachiate (opaque) = brachi + ation

Formed from the verb 'brachiate' with the suffix '-ation', but both the verb and the combining form 'brachi-' are specialized and unfamiliar to average learners, so the meaning is not readily inferred.

Etymology

Brachiation comes from the root brachi-, which means 'arm'. So brachiation names the way some animals, like gibbons, move by swinging from branch to branch with their arms, a simple 'arm-swinging' movement.