hamadryas

/ (ˌhæməˈdraɪəs) /

noun

a baboon, Papio (or Comopithecus) hamadryas, of Arabia and NE Africa, having long silvery hair on the head, neck, and chest: regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians: family Cercopithecidae Also called: hamadryas baboon, sacred baboon

Word Origin for hamadryas

C19: via New Latin from Latin; see hamadryad

Words nearby hamadryas

ham-fisted, ham-handed, hama, hamadan, hamadryad, hamadryas, hamadryas baboon, hamadān, hamal, hamamatsu, hamamelidaceous

Example sentences from the Web for hamadryas

  • Hamadryas, one of the nymphs whose life depended upon the tree to which she was attached.

    The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise |M. E. Hard

  • Who does not feel disgust when regarding the hideous mandrill—the drill—the hamadryas—or even the chacma?

    The Bush Boys |Captain Mayne Reid

  • In Burmah this formidable Viper is dreaded almost as much as the Hamadryas.

    Reptiles and Birds |Louis Figuier

  • The hamadryas (C. hamadryas) of Abyssinia is characterized by long hair, forming a sort of shoulder-cape.

    The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 |Various