noun
- plural of apeman; hypothetical or extinct human-like creatures thought to be intermediate between apes and humans
Usage: informal; often used in popular science or speculative contexts; not a standard scientific term
Examples
- Early paleontologists speculated about apemen that might have bridged the gap between apes and modern humans.
- The documentary featured theories about apemen that supposedly roamed prehistoric forests.
- Some science fiction stories depict apemen as intelligent creatures capable of tool use.
- The fossil record has not provided clear evidence of the apemen that 19th-century naturalists imagined.