Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
lesser ape

lesser ape

7.0
A small agile animal that lives in trees with long arms and no tail
  • noun
  • /ˈlɛsər eɪp/
translation icon : mono menor
  • The siamang, a type of lesser ape, has a distinctive throat pouch used to amplify its calls.

Examples

  • Unlike great apes, the lesser ape family is known for their remarkable agility in the treetops.

  • The lesser ape is known for its agility.

  • Gibbons are the most well-known species of lesser ape found in Southeast Asia.

  • Many lesser apes are found in the forests of Southeast Asia.

  • The lesser ape, known for its long arms, swings gracefully from branch to branch.

  • Unlike great apes, lesser apes are agile and move quickly through the trees.

  • Researchers studied the behavior of lesser apes to understand their social structures.

Synonyms

Hylobatidae
vslesser ape
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of small apes that live in trees like gibbons and siamangs

is the common name used instead of that scientific family term

Surface Forms

lesser ape singular
lesser apes plural

Morphology

lesser + ape

The meaning is directly compositional: 'lesser' (smaller/lesser in significance) modifies 'ape', yielding the straightforward sense of smaller or less large apes (e.g., gibbons and siamangs). This follows a common adjective + noun pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the intended biological contrast with 'great apes'.

Etymology

Lesser ape comes from joining lesser and ape to show these are 'smaller' apes, not the big 'great apes'. Because they are small, long-armed, tree living gibbons and siamangs that swing through branches, the name now means a group of small, agile apes.