Definition of hamadryas in English:
hamadryas
(also hamadryas baboon)
nounˌhaməˈdrʌɪəsˌhaməˈdrʌɪas
A large Arabian and north-eastern African baboon, the male of which has a silvery-grey cape of hair and a naked red face and rump. It was held sacred in ancient Egypt.
Papio hamadryas, family Cercopithecidae
Example sentencesExamples
- The ancient Egyptians considered hamadryas baboons to be the sacred attendants of Thoth, the scribe to the gods.
- Our data set was comprised of eight species: a Platyrrhini, the white-fronted capuchin monkey, two cercopithecoids: the Barbary macaque and the hamadryas baboon, four hominoids and an outgroup sequence.
Origin
1930s: modern Latin (see hamadryad).
Rhymes
Ananias, bias, Darius, dryas, Elias, eyas, Gaius, Lias, Mathias, pious, Tobias