lemur
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈliːmə(ɹ)/
rhymes: -iːmə(ɹ)
homophone: Lima (non-rhotic)
Forms: form: lemurs
Etymology: From Latin lemurēs (“spirits of the dead”). The name was originally given to the red slender loris (then Lemur tardigradus) in 1754 by Carl Linnaeus. According to Linnaeus, the name was selected because of the nocturnal activity and slow movements of the red slender loris. In 1758, Linnaeus added, among others, the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) to the genus Lemur. All other species, including the red slender loris, were eventually moved to other genera. In time, the word became the colloquial name for all primates endemic to Madagascar.
Senses: examples: text: "Lemurs are naturally very social," said Mukobi. "Wild lemurs live in big family groups, and different species do really well together. Plus, the new lemur habitat is quite large, so each family group can have their own space when they choose to."
ref: 2018 November 9, “Red alert: New lemurs join zoo conspiracy”, in Oregon Zoo, retrieved 05 Nov 2019:
text: Tucker-Brown explained how lemurs—like much of the “stranded” flora and fauna of Madagascar—are effectively living fossils. Belonging to a primate group called prosimians, lemurs were evolutionarily superseded by monkeys on mainland Africa 35mn years ago and driven to near-extinction.
ref: 2025 July 5, Mike Carter, “Deep in the island ark”, in FT Weekend, Travel, page 6:
glosses: Any strepsirrhine primate of the superfamily Lemuroidea, native only to Madagascar and some surrounding islands.
glosses: Any of the genus Lemur, represented by the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta).
glosses: A loris (Lemur tardigradus, now Loris tardigradus), predating the 10th edition of Systema Naturæ.
Derived terms: sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Hapalemur spp.
word: bamboo lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: Bemaraha woolly lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: black-and-white ruffed lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: black lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: Cleese's woolly lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Cheirogaleus spp.
word: dwarf lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: fat-tailed lemur. fat-tailed dwarf lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Cynocephalidae spp.
word: flying lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Phaner spp.
word: fork-marked lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Hapalemur spp.
word: gentle lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Mirza spp.
word: giant mouse lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: greater bamboo lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: Groves' dwarf lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Allocebus trichotis
word: hairy-eared dwarf lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: koala lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: lemuriform
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: lemurlike
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: lemuroid
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: lemur-tail seahorse
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: Madame Berthe's mouse lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Microcebus spp.
word: mouse lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Lemur catta
word: ring-tailed lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
alt: Verecia spp.
word: ruffed lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: Sanford's brown lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: Sanford's lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: slow lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Lepilemuridae spp.
word: sportive lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
word: subfossil lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Eulemur spp.
word: true lemur
sense: terms derived from lemur (noun)
taxonomic: Avahi spp.
word: woolly lemur
Related terms: lemures
Lemuria