noun
ape
ayp
noun
1
A large tailless primate such as a gorilla, chimpanzee, or orangutan.
"The zoo's new enclosure lets visitors watch the apes up close."
"Humans are technically classified as apes too."
verb
1
To copy or imitate someone or something, often badly.
"The new sitcom just apes the jokes from an older, better show."
"He apes his older brother's style right down to the haircut."
How to Use Ape
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the animal (a tailless primate) or, as a verb, copying someone's behaviour or style.
Memory tip
As a verb it almost always has a slightly negative, unoriginal feel — "aping" someone means imitating without real understanding.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
ape a style
go ape (informal: to go wild)
Word Forms
aped past tense, apes plural, apes singular
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The zoo's new enclosure lets visitors watch the _____ up close.
Etymology
From Old English apa, an ancient Germanic word for monkey or ape, of uncertain deeper origin.