pongid
- noun
- /ˈpɔŋɡɪd/
- Archaic
:
pongido
- The museum exhibit featured fossils of several extinct pongids from Africa and Asia.
Examples
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In the 20th century, gorillas and chimpanzees were often classified as pongids.
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Recent studies question the relevance of the taxonomic group pongid in modern primatology.
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The pongid species are fascinating to study.
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Did you know that a pongid can use tools?
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In the 20th century, gorillas and chimpanzees were often classified as pongids.
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The museum exhibit featured fossils of several extinct pongids from Africa and Asia.
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Recent studies question the relevance of the taxonomic group pongid in modern primatology.
Synonyms
118
1.0
A primate without a tail, like a chimpanzee or gorilla
5
3.4
A large animal like a gorilla or orangutan with no tail and closely related to humans
1
8.0
A type of animal like a monkey or ape, including humans
A large tailless animal like a gorilla or chimpanzee that is more like humans than other monkeys
Surface Forms
Morphology
pongid = Pongidae (opaque) = pong + id
The formation is a specialist taxonomic term derived from the family name; the combining element 'pong' is not a familiar standalone English base for average learners.
Etymology
Pongid comes from the name Pongo, taken from an African word for a 'large ape', and the ending -id means 'related to', as in humanoid. So a pongid is an animal 'related to' Pongo — in other words, one of the large apes like orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees.