PRIMATE


Meaning of PRIMATE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈprī-ˌmāt or especially for 1 ]

-mət noun

Etymology: Middle English primat, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin primat-, primas archbishop, from Latin, leader, from primus

Date: 13th century

1. often capitalized : a bishop who has precedence in a province, a group of provinces, or a nation

2. archaic : one first in authority or rank : leader

3.

[New Latin Primates, from Latin, plural of primat-, primas ]

: any of an order (Primates) of mammals that are characterized especially by advanced development of binocular vision, specialization of the appendages for grasping, and enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres and that include humans, apes, monkeys, and related forms (as lemurs and tarsiers)

• pri·mate·ship -ˌship noun

• pri·ma·tial prī-ˈmā-shəl adjective

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.