chimp

Everyday

1. A chimp is a chimpanzee, a clever, hairy African ape that lives in groups in forests and is one of the closest animal relatives of humans. tree →
2. (informal) People sometimes call a cheeky, silly person a chimp, in a joking way. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons chimps come up in classification (they are apes, not monkeys), animal intelligence (they use sticks as tools to catch termites) and conservation (they are endangered). Jane Goodall is famous for watching wild chimps for many years. In everyday talk «chimp» is just the short, friendly word for chimpanzee.

Examples

• The chimp used a stick to fish for termites. tree →
• Chimps live in groups in the forests of Africa. tree →
• A baby chimp rides on its mother's back. tree →
• Chimps are apes, so they have no tail. tree →
• Jane Goodall studied wild chimps for many years. tree →
• Stop acting like a chimp and sit down! tree →
• The zoo's chimps hooted when the keeper arrived. tree →

Note

Plural «chimps». Informal short form of «chimpanzee»; in a science report use «chimpanzee». Trap: chimps are apes, not monkeys — monkeys usually have tails, apes do not. Myth: humans did not come from chimps; humans and chimps share an ancestor from long ago.