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macaque

noun
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ma·​caque | \ mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) , -ˈkäk How to pronounce macaque (audio) \

Definition of macaque

: any of a genus (Macaca) of chiefly Asian monkeys typically having a sturdy build and including some short-tailed or tailless forms especially : rhesus monkey

Illustration of macaque

Illustration of macaque

Examples of macaque in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His group has tried, without success, to evoke eye movements in one macaque and to impair working memory function in another. — Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, "Controlling monkey brains with light could get easier thanks to open data project," 28 Oct. 2020 In the backrooms of Bali’s bird market in Indonesia, young macaque monkeys like this one are bought and sold. — Rachael Zisk, Popular Science, "Check out the breathtaking winners of the 2020 Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest," 20 Oct. 2020 The cost of a macaque has since doubled to almost $10,000, according to Lewis. — Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, "America Is Facing a Monkey Shortage," 31 Aug. 2020 Study author Michael Heide, also of the Max Planck Institute, says the team wanted to study a model organism closely related to humans, and the two most practical options were the marmoset and the macaque. — Courtney Sexton, Smithsonian Magazine, "Brain Gene Tops the List for Making Humans, Human," 18 June 2020 But the macaques still had high levels of virus replicating in their upper airways. — Helen Branswell, STAT, "The world needs Covid-19 vaccines. It may also be overestimating their power," 22 May 2020 One important caveat of the new study is that macaques do not perfectly reflect how the human immune system behaves. — Popular Science, "Studies in monkeys show that coronavirus immunity holds up in vaccine treatments," 22 May 2020 The tests on the macaques were conducted at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. — Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, "Moderna's possible coronavirus vaccine delivers preliminary but promising data," 18 May 2020 Researchers conducted efficacy testing on the macaques at the National Institure of Allergy and Infectious Disease’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. — Fox News, "Investigational vaccine protects monkeys against COVID-19 pneumonia," 16 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'macaque.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of macaque

1757, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for macaque

French, from Portuguese macaco, from kaku mangabey, plural makaku, in one or more Bantu languages of Gabon and Congo

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Time Traveler for macaque

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The first known use of macaque was in 1757

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Last Updated

4 Nov 2020

Cite this Entry

“Macaque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macaque. Accessed 8 Nov. 2020.

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More Definitions for macaque

macaque

noun
ma·​caque | \ mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) , -ˈkäk \

Kids Definition of macaque

: a monkey mostly found in Asia that often has a short tail

macaque

noun
ma·​caque | \ mə-ˈkak How to pronounce macaque (audio) , -ˈkäk How to pronounce macaque (audio) \

Medical Definition of macaque

: any of numerous short-tailed Old World monkeys of the genus Macaca and related genera chiefly of southern Asia especially : rhesus monkey

More from Merriam-Webster on macaque

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about macaque

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