colobus
[ kol-uh-buh s, kuh-loh- ]
/ ˈkɒl ə bəs, kəˈloʊ- /
noun, plural col·o·bus·es, col·o·bi [kol-uh-bahy, kuh-loh-bahy] /ˈkɒl əˌbaɪ, kəˈloʊ baɪ/.
any of several large, slender African monkeys of the genus Colobus, lacking thumbs and having long silky fur of black and white (C. polykomos), black and reddish-brown (C. badius), or olive (C. verus): now dwindling.
Origin of colobus
1811; < New Latin, the genus name < Greek
kolobós docked, maimed; so named from the mutilated appearance of the thumbless hands
Words nearby colobus
collywobbles,
colmar,
colo-,
colo.,
coloboma,
colobus,
colocate,
colocentesis,
colocholecystostomy,
colocolostomy,
colocynth
Example sentences from the Web for colobus
British Dictionary definitions for colobus
colobus
/ (ˈkɒləbəs) /
noun
any leaf-eating arboreal Old World monkey of the genus Colobus, of W and central Africa, having a slender body, long silky fur, long tail, and reduced or absent thumbs
Word Origin for colobus
C19: New Latin, from Greek
kolobos cut short; referring to its thumb