Ape
/eɪp/noun
A tailless primate, especially a large one such as a chimpanzee, gorilla, or orangutan.
Did you know?English ape likely came through Old English from a Germanic source related to Old High German affo, and the word’s history shows that animal names can survive for centuries while their exact origins fade into the dark.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*apô
“A monkey or ape-like animal”
Old English
OE
apa
“An ape or monkey”
Middle English
ME
ape
“An ape; later, a monkey-like primate”
Modern English
English
ape
“A tailless primate, especially a large one”
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