Meanings
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1
noun
a member of an extinct human species, Homo neanderthalensis, that lived in Europe and western Asia until about 40,000 years ago
Genetic evidence shows that some Neanderthals interbred with early modern humans.
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2
adj
relating to Neanderthals, their anatomy, culture, or period
The cave contained Neanderthal tools and animal bones.
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3
noun
informal and disparaging: a person regarded as crude, unintelligent, or resistant to change
Calling a colleague a Neanderthal is insulting and says nothing about the extinct human species.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From German Neanderthal, the older spelling of Neandertal ("Neander Valley") near Dusseldorf, where a famous fossil was found in 1856. The valley honored hymn writer Joachim Neander; German Tal means "valley." The species name Homo neanderthalensis followed from the site.