prehuman

[ pree-hyoo-muh n or, often, -yoo- ]
/ priˈhyu mən or, often, -ˈyu- /

adjective

preceding the appearance or existence of human beings: the prehuman ages.
of or relating to a human prototype.

noun

a prehuman animal.

Origin of prehuman

First recorded in 1835–45; pre- + human

Example sentences from the Web for prehuman

  • This prehuman stage has, none the less, a very great significance in the developmental history of man.

    Men of the Old Stone Age |Henry Fairfield Osborn
  • Some regarded the skull as that of a giant gibbon, others as prehuman, and still others as a transition form.

    Men of the Old Stone Age |Henry Fairfield Osborn
  • So long as the organic hosts were in the prehuman stage the maintenance of the accord was easily and naturally attained.

    Domesticated Animals |Nathaniel Southgate Shaler