Large primates without tails, including humans' closest relatives such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.
From Old English apa, from Proto-Germanic apan, possibly imitative of ape sounds. The word has been used both scientifically and pejoratively throughout its history.
Humans are technically apes ourselves - we're classified as 'great apes' along with our closest relatives. The phrase 'to ape' someone, meaning to imitate, reflects both our kinship with these animals and their remarkable ability to learn through observation.
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