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The Latin word for "ape" is simia, which itself comes from simus, "snub-nosed". Simian is usually a scientific word; thus, for instance, biologists study simian viruses in the search for cures to AIDS and other diseases. But simian can be used by the rest of us to describe human behavior. Human babies often cling to their mothers in a simian way, and kids playing on a jungle gym may look like simians. But if you notice that a friend has a simian style of walking or eating bananas, it might be best not to tell him.
Examples of simian in a Sentence
David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
Millar adds that the team briefly considered leaning into simian movement, but that was quickly dismissed.
—Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 17 Dec. 2024
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025
The look of their synthetic simian started with a scan of Williams for key features, but incorporated the proportions of Davies (for instance, his height so that the actors could look at each other, rather than tennis balls or sticks to create eyelines.).
—Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Simian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simian. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
simian
1 of 2 adjective
simian
2 of 2 noun
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