Standard Lemma guide

Denisovan

adj · noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • dənĭʹsəvən
  • /dɨˈnɪsəvən/
  • dənēʹsəvən
  • /dɨˈniːsəvən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or pertaining to an extinct grouping of the genus Homo that lived in the Altay Mountains some 41,000 years ago. Of the species Homo longi (“Dragon Man”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A member of an extinct grouping of the genus Homo that lived in the Altay Mountains some 41,000 years ago. A member of the species Homo longi (“Dragon Man”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Denisova Cave, where Denisovan remains were discovered, + -an.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 丹尼索瓦人 (Dānnísuǒwǎ-rén) — a member of an extinct grouping of Homo that lived in the Altay Mountains
  • Portuguese: denisovano — a member of an extinct grouping of Homo that lived in the Altay Mountains
  • Portuguese: homem de Denisova — a member of an extinct grouping of Homo that lived in the Altay Mountains
  • Russian: дени́совский челове́к (denísovskij čelovék) — a member of an extinct grouping of Homo that lived in the Altay Mountains
  • Russian: дени́совец (denísovec) — a member of an extinct grouping of Homo that lived in the Altay Mountains