Potto definition

pŏtō
pottos
See word origin
Frequency:
Any of several small nocturnal insect-eating African primates of the genera Perodicticus and Arctocebus, having a pointed snout, large eyes and ears, a stumplike index finger, and a very short tail.
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A slow-moving, large-eyed central African prosimian primate (Perodicticus potto) of the same family as the lorises and angwantibos.
noun
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A small primate, Perodicticus potto, native to the tropical rainforests of Africa. [from 18th c.]
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(now rare) The kinkajou. [from 18th c.]
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A village in North Yorkshire.
pronoun
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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
potto
Plural:
pottos

Origin of potto

  • Of Niger-Congo origin perhaps akin to Wolof pata a tailless monkey or Akan (Twi) apↄsↄ a fierce monkeylike animal

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From a West African language; compare Akan apÉ”sÉ”.

    From Wiktionary