Illustration of orangutan
orangutan
noun
orang·u·tan
ə-ˈraŋ-ə-ˌtaŋ 
-ˈraŋ-gə-,
-ˌtan
: a largely herbivorous arboreal anthropoid ape (Pongo pygmaeus) of Borneo and Sumatra that is about ²/₃ as large as the gorilla and has brown skin, long sparse reddish-brown hair, and very long arms
Examples of orangutan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For the first time, scientists observed an orangutan, a primate, in the wild treating a wound with a plant that has medicinal properties.
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Emily Anthes, New York Times, 12 May 2024
Caesar, the ape revolutionary who led the chimps, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and gibbons to dominance in the reboot trilogy, is long dead by the time Kingdom’s action begins.
—James Grebey, TIME, 10 May 2024
This week, an analysis of the orangutan’s behavior was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 May 2024
But when her father rescues a baby orangutan, Kéria begins to reconnect to her Indigenous roots, as well as her Penan cousin Selaï.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for orangutan 
Emily Anthes, New York Times, 12 May 2024
Caesar, the ape revolutionary who led the chimps, gorillas, orangutans, bonobos, and gibbons to dominance in the reboot trilogy, is long dead by the time Kingdom’s action begins.
—James Grebey, TIME, 10 May 2024
This week, an analysis of the orangutan’s behavior was published in the journal Scientific Reports.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 May 2024
But when her father rescues a baby orangutan, Kéria begins to reconnect to her Indigenous roots, as well as her Penan cousin Selaï.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for orangutan
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orangutan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Orangutan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orangutan. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
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