primate
primate definition
pri·mate (prī′māt′, -mit; for 2, usually, -mit)
noun
- Rare a person with primacy
- an archbishop, or the highest-ranking bishop in a province, etc.
- any of an order (Primates) of mammals characterized esp. by flexible hands and feet, each with five digits, including humans, great apes, monkeys, and lemurs
Etymology: ME primat < OFr < LL primas (gen. primatis), of the first, chief < L primus, first: see prime
Related Forms:
- primateship pri′·mate·ship′ noun
- primatial pri·ma′·tial (-mā′s̸həl) adjective
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