monkey

[muhng-kee]

noun

plural

monkeys 

1. any of more than 250 species of simian primates belonging to the two distinct lines of New World monkeys and Old World monkeys.

2. the fur of certain species of such long-haired animals.

3. a person whose behavior is likened to such an animal, as a mischievous, agile child or a mimic.

   My nephew is the most adorable little monkey—he'll try to climb anything he can reach.

4. Disparaging and Offensive.,  (used as a slur against a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, especially a Black person.)

5. a dance, deriving from the twist, in which the partners move their hands as if climbing a pole and jerk their heads back and forth.

6. Slang.,  an addiction to narcotics.

7. any of various mechanical devices, as the ram of a pile driver.

8. Coal Mining.,  a small passageway or opening.

9. British Slang.,  the sum of 500 pounds.

10. Australian Informal.,  a sheep.

verb (used without object)

monkeyed, monkeying 

1. Informal.,  to play or trifle idly; fool (often followed by around orwith ).

verb (used with object)

monkeyed, monkeying 

1. to imitate; ape; mimic.

2. to mock.

monkey

/ ˈmʌŋkɪ /

noun

1. any of numerous long-tailed primates excluding the prosimians (lemurs, tarsiers, etc): comprise the families Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys), Cebidae (New World monkeys), and Callithricidae (marmosets) See Old World monkey New World monkey

2. any primate except man

3. a naughty or mischievous person, esp a child

4. the head of a pile-driver ( monkey engine ) or of some similar mechanical device

5. (modifier) nautical denoting a small light structure or piece of equipment contrived to suit an immediate purpose

   a monkey foresail

   a monkey bridge

6. slang,  an addict's dependence on a drug

7. slang,  a butt of derision; someone made to look a fool (esp in the phrase make a monkey of )

8. slang,  (esp in bookmaking) £500

9. slang,  $500

10. slang,  a sheep

11. slang,  to care about or regard as important

    who gives a monkey's what he thinks?

12. slang

    1. to be troubled by a persistent problem

    2. to be addicted to a drug

verb

1. (intr; usually foll by around, with, etc) to meddle, fool, or tinker

2. rare,  (tr) to imitate; ape

Sensitive Note

See simianization.

Other Word Forms

• monkeyish adjective
• monkeyishly adverb
• monkeyishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of monkey¹

First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain; possibly from Low German; compare Middle Low German Moneke (name of son of Martin the Ape in the story of Reynard the Fox ), equivalent to mone- (akin to obsolete French monne “she-ape,” Spanish, Portuguese mono “ape”) + -ke diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of monkey¹

C16: perhaps from Low German; compare Middle Low German Moneke name of the ape's son in the tale of Reynard the Fox

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. a monkey on one's back,

   1. an addiction to a drug or drugs; narcotic dependency.

   2. an enduring and often vexing habit or urge.

   3. a burdensome problem, situation, or responsibility; personal affliction or hindrance.

2. make a monkey out of, to cause to appear ridiculous; make a fool of. Also make a monkey of.

More idioms and phrases containing monkey

• fool (monkey) around
• make a fool (monkey) of
• more fun than a barrel of monkeys
• throw a monkey wrench

Example Sentences

The research adds weight to the so-called "drunken monkey" hypothesis - the idea that the human appetite for alcohol was inherited from our primate ancestors.

From BBC

In other instances people are just looking to “throw monkey wrenches into the gears of Democracy because, for adversaries, weakening the United States is something they try to do generally.”

From Los Angeles Times

Rose said he was subjected to monkey chants throughout and had stones thrown at him.

From BBC

Nine works, including a rhino mounting a car, two elephants with their trunks stretched towards each other, and three monkeys swinging on a bridge, appeared over nine days in August 2024.

From BBC

Until the 1980s people roamed the mountains of Shennongjia in central China hunting monkeys for their meat and fur.

From BBC

Related Words

• ape 
• baboon 
• chimpanzee 
• gorilla 
• lemur 
• orangutan 

When To Use

Plural word for monkey

The plural form of monkey is monkeys (not monkies). Words that end with a -y preceded by a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) are made plural by adding an -s at the end, as in chimney/chimneys and ray/rays. This can be confusing, because the plural form of words that end with a -y and are preceded by a consonant is made by changing the ending to -ies, as in party/parties, candy/candies, and duty/duties.