chimpanzee

/t͡ʃɪmˈpæn.zi/

T͡ƩꞮMPÆN · zi (2 syllables)

English Noun Top 20,566

Definition

Pan troglodytes, a species of great ape native to the savannas and forests of Africa, and believed by biologists to be the closest extant relative to humans along with the bonobo.

Etymology

The first recorded use of the name chimpanzee dates to 1738. The name is derived from an unspecified Bantu language of Angola (compare Vili ci-mpenzi), probably brought to the English language via French chimpanzé.