lemur
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lemur
- /ˈliːmə(ɹ)/
Sounds like Lima (non-rhotic) · Rhymes with -iːmə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Latin lemurēs (“spirits of the dead”). The name was originally given to the red slender loris (then Lemur tardigradus) in 1754 by Carl Linnaeus. According to Linnaeus, the name was selected because of the nocturnal activity and slow movements of the red slender loris. In 1758, Linnaeus added, among others, the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) to the genus Lemur. All other species, including the red slender loris, were eventually moved to other genera. In time, the word became the colloquial name for all primates endemic to Madagascar.
noun lemurs
- Any strepsirrhine primate of the superfamily Lemuroidea, native only to Madagascar and some surrounding islands. "Lemurs are naturally very social," said Mukobi. "Wild lemurs live in big family groups, and different species do really well together. Plus, the new lemur habitat is quite large, so each family group can have their own space when they choose to."
- Any of the genus Lemur, represented by the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta).
- A loris (Lemur tardigradus, now Loris tardigradus), predating the 10th edition of Systema Naturæ.
Translations
Every language
noun strepsirrhine primate of the infraorder Lemuriformes, superfamily Lemuroidea
| Español | lémur |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 여우원숭이 yeouwonsung'i |
| 日本語 | 狐猿 kitsunezaru, キツネザル kitsunezaru |
| 中文 | 狐猴 húhóu |
| हिन्दी | लीमर līmar |
| Português | lêmure |
| Français | lémur, lémurien |
| Deutsch | Lemur, Lemure |
| Italiano | lemure |
| Ελληνικά | λεμούριος lemoúrios |
| Română | lemur, lemurian |
| Русский | лему́р lemúr |
| Tiếng Việt | vượn cáo |
| العربية | لَيْمُور laymūr |
| עברית | לֶמוּר lemúr |
Talk about this word "lemur." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lemur. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. lemur. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lemur "lemur." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lemur.Cite this
@misc{lemur_2026,
title = {lemur},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lemur},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
