Mandrillus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large genus of primates known as mandrills, characterized by their distinctive facial coloring and sociable behavior in groups
2. Referring to a type of baboon-like monkey that inhabits tropical forests, notable for its vibrant coloration and complex social structures
3. This genus includes several species of Old World monkeys distinguished by their massive size, colorful appearance, and elaborate social interactions

Etymology: Mandrillus is the scientific genus name for the mandrills and drills, the large, brightly coloured African monkeys. It was coined in 1830 by the French zoologist Frédéric Cuvier, who gave the genus this Latinised form of the common name "mandrill." The English word "mandrill" itself is older, first recorded in the early eighteenth century, and it is a borrowing from French "mandrille," which likely derives from an African or West African source; the exact route into French is uncertain. The Latin-style ending "-illus" is a diminutive suffix, so the name reads roughly as "little mandrill." Its shape is the zoologist's typical method: take a familiar vernacular name and dress it in Latin form so that it can be used consistently across scientific literature. The genus Mandrillus now holds two species, the mandrill and the drill, which are close relatives that were once thought to be more distant from each other.

Synonyms: mandrill