Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Neanderthal

//niːˈæn.dəˌtɑːl// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Alternative letter-case form of Neanderthal. alt-of, not-comparable
  2. 2
    Of or pertaining to Homo neanderthalensis. not-comparable

    "The capacity of the Neanderthal skull was 10% larger than that of modern humans."

  3. 3
    Old-fashioned, opposed to change. broadly, not-comparable
  4. 4
    Of or pertaining to the Neander Valley in Germany. not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance wordnet
  2. 2
    relating to or belonging to or resembling Neanderthal man wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    Alternative letter-case form of Neanderthal. alt-of
  2. 2
    A specimen of the now extinct species Homo neanderthalensis.

    "These injuries may reflect the rigors of hunting with the Neanderthals' limited repertoire of weapons; the Neanderthals never seem to have developed projectiles, so they would have to have gotten more or less on top of their prey in order to kill them."

  3. 3
    extinct robust human of Middle Paleolithic in Europe and western Asia wordnet
  4. 4
    A primitive, savage or uncivilized person. derogatory

Etymology

Etymology 1

From obsolete German Neanderthal, now spelled Neandertal, the name of a valley (German Tal, older also spelled Thal) near Düsseldorf where the first Neanderthal was discovered in 1856. A hollow near the valley was known as Neanderhöhle (“Neander Hollow”) and Neandershöhle (“Neander’s Hollow”) in the early 19th century, and the valley had been renamed to Neanderthal in 1850, in honour of the German Calvinist theologian and hymn writer Joachim Neander (1650–1680). Before, the valley was known as das Gesteins (literally “The Rocks [sg.]”) and Hundsklipp (literally “Dog Cliff”). The name of Joachim Neander is based on the Ancient Greek translation (νέος (néos) + ᾰ̓νήρ (ănḗr)) of his original surname Neumann (“Newman”). The pronunciation with the "th" sound (/θ/) is a spelling pronunciation; the original German word is pronounced with a "t" sound (/t/).

Etymology 2

From obsolete German Neanderthal, now spelled Neandertal, the name of a valley (German Tal, older also spelled Thal) near Düsseldorf where the first Neanderthal was discovered in 1856. A hollow near the valley was known as Neanderhöhle (“Neander Hollow”) and Neandershöhle (“Neander’s Hollow”) in the early 19th century, and the valley had been renamed to Neanderthal in 1850, in honour of the German Calvinist theologian and hymn writer Joachim Neander (1650–1680). Before, the valley was known as das Gesteins (literally “The Rocks [sg.]”) and Hundsklipp (literally “Dog Cliff”). The name of Joachim Neander is based on the Ancient Greek translation (νέος (néos) + ᾰ̓νήρ (ănḗr)) of his original surname Neumann (“Newman”). The pronunciation with the "th" sound (/θ/) is a spelling pronunciation; the original German word is pronounced with a "t" sound (/t/).

See also for "neanderthal"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: neanderthal