macaco

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a historical common name for the black lemur, Eulemur macaco, and formerly for several related lemurs

   In the black lemur once called Lemur macaco, the adult male is dark while the female is brown.

2. 2
   noun

   obsolete: a macaque or similar monkey

   Some older travel accounts used macaco loosely for a macaque kept in captivity.

Borrowed through French and Portuguese forms used for monkeys and lemurs; the ultimate source is uncertain and has also been connected with Malagasy names for lemurs. Darwin's Lemur macaco is the species now classified as Eulemur macaco, the black lemur.

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