: any of several largely herbivorous arboreal anthropoid apes (Pongo pygmaeus, P. abelii, and P. tapanuliensis) of Borneo and Sumatra that are about ²/₃ as large as the gorilla and have brown skin, long sparse reddish-brown hair, and very long arms
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The only species that rivals this bond is the orangutan.—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 28 Jan. 2025 After the Smithsonian’s National Zoo lost three giant pandas in November 2023 following the expiration of their lease, Nguyen continued to frequent the zoo, visiting its sea lions and orangutans, instead.—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025 Animals like giant pandas, Asian elephants and orangutans were transferred to Whipsnade Zoo, nestled in the countryside.—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 Scientists have known for decades that people and other social mammals such as dogs, horses, and orangutans perform RFM as a crucial part of social bonding.—Bychrista Lesté-Lasserre, science.org, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for orangutan
Word History
Etymology
Bazaar Malay (Malay-based pidgin), from Malay orang man + hutan forest
: a large anthropoid ape of Borneo and Sumatra that is about ⅔ as large as a gorilla, eats mostly plants, lives in trees, and has very long arms, long thin reddish brown hair, and a nearly hairless face
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