Orangutan Definition & Meaning

Definition

Etymology

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Synonyms orangutan American [aw-rang-oo-tan, oh-rang-, uh-rang-] / ɔˈræŋ ʊˌtæn, oʊˈræŋ-, əˈræŋ- / Also orang-utan;

noun

1. either of two species of long-armed, arboreal great ape, the only extant members of the subfamily Ponginae, inhabiting Borneo (Pongo pygmaeus ) and Sumatra (P. abelii ): both species, including all three of the Bornean subspecies, are endangered.

Etymology

Origin of orangutan

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Dutch orang outang, apparently from Malay: literally, “forest man” ( Malay orang “man, person” + (h)utan “forest”

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How does orangutan compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• orangutan vs. chimpanzee

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Until recently, his only comfort was a large orangutan plush toy that some brilliant member of staff gifted him as a tool for muscle building and maternal replacement.

From Los Angeles Times

Six-month-old Punch became an internet sensation after footage of him clinging forlornly to zookeepers and dragging around a stuffed orangutan toy were widely shared on X.

From Barron's

The area is home to the world's rarest great ape, the tapanuli orangutan, just 800 of which were believed to exist in the wild before the disaster.

From Barron's

In October, orangutan mother Kalim had a baby offspring from father Isim, raising the number of Bornean orangutans at the zoo to seven.

From Los Angeles Times

The recent floods have also damaged a number of orangutan research centres in Sumatra - including at Ketambe, the world's first orangutan research centre, in Aceh.

From BBC

Related Words

• ape
• baboon
• chimpanzee
• gorilla
• lemur

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.