Strepsirrhini
|Streps-ir-rhi-ni|
/ˌstrɛpsɪˈraɪni/
wet-nosed primates
Etymology
'Strepsirrhini' originates from New Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek, specifically the words 'strepsis' and 'rhīnē', where 'strepsis' meant 'a turning' or 'twisting' and 'rhīnē' meant 'nose'.
'Strepsirrhini' developed as a New Latin taxonomic formation from Ancient Greek roots 'strepsis' + 'rhīnē' and was adopted into scientific English as the name of the primate suborder 'Strepsirrhini'.
Initially the roots together literally referred to a 'turned' or 'curved nose', but over time the compound has come to denote the biological group of 'wet-nosed' primates now called Strepsirrhini.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a suborder of primates (Strepsirrhini) that includes lemurs, lorises, and galagos, characterized by a moist rhinarium (wet nose), a strong sense of smell, and many primitive features compared with Haplorhini.
Strepsirrhini are primarily nocturnal and many species have a well-developed sense of smell.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/17 11:41