simian

/ˈsɪmiən/

Other forms: simians

As a noun, a simian is a monkey or ape. Something monkey- or ape-like can be described using the adjective simian. So: something can be simian without being a simian. Got it?

The first syllable in simian rhymes with dim and gets the accent: "SIM-ee-an." This is a case in which the adjective form came before the noun. How? Simian comes from the Greek word simos, meaning "snub-nosed, bent upward." It wasn't until the late nineteenth century that this description became the label for those animals whose noses simian describes.

Definitions of simian

1. adjective

   relating to or resembling an ape or a monkey
   “simian features”
2. noun

   an ape or monkey
   type of:

   primate

   any placental mammal of the order Primates; has good eyesight and flexible hands and feet