I. ˈāp noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English apa; akin to Old High German affo ape
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : monkey ; especially : one of the larger tailless or short-tailed Old World forms
b. : any of two families (Pongidae and Hylobatidae) of large tailless semierect primates (as the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon) — called also anthropoid, anthropoid ape
2.
a. : mimic
b. : a large uncouth person
• ape·like ˈāp-ˌlīk adjective
II. transitive verb
( aped ; ap·ing )
Date: 1632
: to copy closely but often clumsily and ineptly
Synonyms: see copy
• ap·er noun
III. adjective
Date: circa 1955
: crazy , wild — usually used in the phrase go ape