brachiation

brachiation [brey-kee-ey-shuh n, brak-ee-] Word Origin noun Zoology.

1. locomotion accomplished by swinging by the arms from one hold to another.

Origin of brachiation brachiate + -ion brachiation in Science brachiation [brā′kē-ā′shən, brăk′ē-]

1. Movement in which the suspended body swings by the arms from one hold to another, as in gibbons and arboreal primates. Adaptations used in brachiation, such as relatively long arms and a freely rotating shoulder joint, may have contributed to the development of bipedalism in protohumans.