ape

noun

• 1a large primate that lacks a tail, including the gorilla, chimpanzees, orang-utan, and gibbons.

  • Families Pongidae and Hylobatidae
• used in names of macaque monkeys with short tails, e.g. Barbary ape.
• (in general use) any monkey.

• 2an unintelligent or clumsy person.

• 3 archaic an inferior imitator or mimic:cunning is but the ape of wisdom

verb

• imitate (someone or something), especially in an absurd or unthinking way:new architecture can respect the old without aping its style