Pronounced: LIHV-long, adj
Notes: This is one of those words that you either know or don’t know
Yesterday’s word
The word brachiate means “to progress by swinging from hold to hold by the arms”
First usage
Our word came into English in the mid-1800s
Background / Comments
I am not sure if Tarzan, swinging from vine to vine counts as an example of our word – technically, what he does fits the description. The example given is of the gibbon, which swings from branch to branch with his arms. Other ape types, such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans have bodies that are too heavy to propel that way, except for short distances. Our word comes from the Latin word bracchium (arm).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 