semi-human

See also: semihuman

English

Alternative forms

• semihuman

Etymology

semi- +‎ human

Adjective

semi-human (not comparable)

1. Partially humanlike.
   • 1912 September 6, “Say Life Problem Cannot Be Solved”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     The greater exposure to danger which these more adventurous spirits encountered and the constant struggles that these semi-human creatures must have had with definite enemies no less than with the forces of nature provided factors which rapidly weeded out those unfitted for the new conditions, and by natural selection made real men of the survivors.

   • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

     Great God! They were moving! They were rushing swiftly and noiselessly downwards! Black, black as night, huge, ill-defined, semi-human and altogether evil and damnable.

   • 1955 January 17, “Science: Ever-Populated Valley”, in TIME‎^[2]:

     In one of the layers, close to the floor, are bones of Australopithecus prometheus, a small, spry primate whom Professor Dart considers at least semi-human.

   • 1977 May 25, Gary Arnold, “'Star Wars': A Spectacular Intergalactic Joyride”, in The Washington Post‎^[3]:

     These characters prove wonderfully amusing company in their own right, but their entrances are enhanced by a fantastic, hilarious setting - a futuristic cantina catering to all the human, semi-human and non-human riffraff in the territory.

   • 2000 September 18, Dolly Setton, “Invasion of the Virbots”, in Forbes‎^[4]:

     Rea is the creation of Professor Justine Cassell, a cognitive psychologist and linguistics expert. Rea is a virtual mannequin that seems semi-human.

Noun

semi-human (plural semi-humans)

1. Any creature that is partly human or human-like.

Anagrams

• Humeanism