Neanderthal (redirected from Neanderthals)

Ne·an·der·thal  (n-ndr-thôl, -tôl, n-ändr-täl) also Ne·an·der·tal (-tôl, -täl)

n.

1.

a. An extinct human species (Homo neanderthalensis) or subspecies (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) living during the late Pleistocene Epoch throughout most of Europe and parts of Asia and northern Africa and associated with Middle Paleolithic tools.

b. An individual belonging to this species or subspecies.

2. Slang A crude, boorish, or slow-witted person.

adj.

1. Of, having to do with, or resembling Neanderthals.

2. Slang Crude, boorish, or slow-witted.

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[After Neanderthal (Neandertal), a valley of western Germany near Düsseldorf.]

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Ne·ander·thaloid (-thôloid, -tô-, -tä-) adj.

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Neanderthal [nee-ann-der-tahl]

Adjective

1. of a type of primitive man that lived in Europe before 12 000 bc

2. Informal with excessively conservative views: his notoriously Neanderthal attitude to women [after Neandertal, a valley in Germany]

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Neanderthal (n-ndr-thôl, -tôl) or Neandertal  (n-ndr-tôl)

An extinct variety of human that lived throughout Europe and in parts of western Asia and northern Africa during the late Pleistocene Epoch, until about 30,000 years ago. Neanderthals had a stocky build and large skulls with thick eyebrow ridges and big teeth. They usually lived in caves, made flaked stone tools, and were the earliest humans known to bury their dead. Neanderthals were either a subspecies of modern humans (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) or a separate, closely related species (Homo neanderthalensis). They coexisted with early modern humans (Cro-Magnons) for several thousand years before becoming extinct, but are not generally believed to have interbred with them. See also Mousterian.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	Neanderthal - extinct robust human of Middle Paleolithic in Europe and western Asia Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, Neandertal, Neandertal man, Neanderthal man genus Homo - type genus of the family Hominidae human, human being, homo, man - any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage
Adj.	1.	neanderthal - ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance; "was boorish and insensitive"; "the loutish manners of a bully"; "her stupid oafish husband"; "aristocratic contempt for the swinish multitude" boorish, loutish, oafish, swinish, neandertal unrefined - (used of persons and their behavior) not refined; uncouth; "how can a refined girl be drawn to such an unrefined man?"
	2.	Neanderthal - relating to or belonging to or resembling Neanderthal man; "Neanderthal skull" Neandertal, Neanderthalian