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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Any of several large terrestrial African and Asian monkeys of the family Cercopithecidae, especially of the genus Papio or Chaeropithecus and related genera, characterized by an elongated, doglike muzzle, a short tail, and bare calluses on the buttocks.
  2. n. Slang A brutish person; a boor.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A quadrumanous animal of the old world, of the subfamily Cynopithecinæ, and especially of either of the genera Cynocephalus (or Papio) and Mandrilla (or Mormon). The baboon has a large prominent muzzle and a low facial angle, constituting a physiognomy to which the term “dog-faced” has been applied. It has cheek-pouches, large canine teeth, tail usually short (whence the term “pig-tailed” applied to some), and large bare ischial callosities, often gayly colored. Its fore and hind limbs are proportionate, so that the animal can go upon all-fours like ordinary quadrupeds, or sit upright like most other monkeys. Baboons are generally large, heavy animals, some equaling a mastiff in size and weight, and are among the most sullen, intractable, ferocious, and filthy brutes of the order to which they belong. Most of them are African, and they are usually gregarious, going in large troops, and feeding on fruits, roots, birds' eggs, insects, etc. Among those which have special names are the anubis, chacma, mandrill, drill, etc. Some of the Quadrumana which belong technically to the same group as the baboons do not usually take the name, as the black ape of Celebes, Cynopithecus niger, and the Barbary ape, Inuus ecaudatus; while some monkeys of other groups are occasionally called baboons.

Wiktionary

  1. n. Mostly African primates. One of the Old World Quadrumana, of the genera Cynocephalus and Papio; the dog-faced ape. Baboons have dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. One of the Old World Quadrumana, of the genera Cynocephalus and Papio; the dog-faced ape. Baboons have dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks. They are mostly African. See mandrill, and chacma, and drill an ape.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. large terrestrial monkeys having doglike muzzles

Etymologies

  1. Middle English babewin, from Old French babuin, gaping figure, gargoyle, baboon, perhaps blend of Old French babine, muzzle, and babau, grimace.

Examples

  • “Is it racist if Rafiki the baboon is played by Patrick Ewing without any make-up in The Lion King?”

    TYLER PERRY TYLER PERRY TYLER PERRY

  • “He claims that he was called a "baboon" and a "criminal" in a unit where racist language was allegedly commonplace.”

    WalesOnline - Home

  • “In his defence, Herselman argued that the word baboon was common in conversational Afrikaans and had no malicious or bad intentions.”

    News24

  • “They found that drill-mangabeys and drills and mandrills shared numerous features that aren’t present in baboon-mangabeys and baboons.”

    Archive 2006-06-01

  • “There were dahlia and rhododendron plants, avocado trees and fuchsias, even a fascinating hairy-leaved thing called a baboon flower.”

    There's Something In A Sunday

  • “Take a letter to Kublai Khan, " I said to Mon Cul, pretending that the baboon was my secretary.”

    Another Roadside Attraction

  • “The baboon is a vegetarian but no bigot, and will eat mutton chops without protest.”

    Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 152, June 6, 1917

  • “Where is Mappo now?" asked a small baboon, which is another kind of monkey.”

    Nero, the Circus Lion His Many Adventures

  • “The ape and the baboon are the most skilled of all animals in making their flight.”

    The Human Side of Animals

  • “One day, while we were eating a red monkey erroneously called the baboon, in Demerara, an Arowack Indian told an affecting story of what happened to”

    Wanderings in South America

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Lists

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‘baboon’ has been looked up 1156 times, added to 18 lists, and has a Scrabble score of 10.