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lemur

(lē′mər)

noun

any of a family (Lemuridae) of prosimian primates with large eyes, a long tail, a pointed muzzle, and soft, woolly fur: they are mostly tree-dwelling and nocturnal, and are found only in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands

Origin: < L lemures, ghosts, specters (akin to Gr lamia: see lamia): so called from its nocturnal habits

Related Forms:

lemurine adjective
lemuroid adjective, noun

See lemur in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Any of several small arboreal, mostly nocturnal primates chiefly of the family Lemuridae of Madagascar and adjacent islands, having large eyes, a long slim muzzle, and a long tail.

Origin:

Origin: New Latin Lemur, genus name

Origin: , back-formation from Latin Lemurēs, lemures (from their ghostly appearance and their nocturnal habits)

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