macaque

American  

[muh-kak, -kahk] / məˈkæk, -ˈkɑk /

noun

1. any monkey of the genus Macaca, chiefly of Asia, characterized by cheek pouches and, usually, a short tail: several species are threatened or endangered.

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macaque British  

/ məˈkɑːk /

noun

1. any of various Old World monkeys of the genus Macaca, inhabiting wooded or rocky regions of Asia and Africa. Typically the tail is short or absent and cheek pouches are present

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Etymology

Origin of macaque

First recorded in 1690–1700; from French, from Portuguese macaco “monkey,” presumably from a Bantu language of the Atlantic coast; compare Lingala makako “ape”

Explanation

A macaque is a kind of monkey that lives in Asia and North Africa. Macaques are known for their long faces and complex social behaviors. There are more than twenty species of macaques, and they're the most widespread of the primates — you might see a macaque in Japan, Afghanistan, or India. Barbary macaques are known for their family structures, in which the males help raise and care for the babies, while rhesus macaques are so common in some cities that they're seen as pests. Macaque is French, from the Portuguese for "monkey," macaco, which was originally a Bantu word brought to Portugal from Africa.

Example Sentences

Their goal was to determine whether bathing affects the macaque holobiont, the combined biological system made up of the animal and the microbes and parasites associated with it.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

Dozens of fans flocked to a Japanese zoo on Friday to catch a glimpse of a baby macaque who shot to social media stardom months after being abandoned by his mother.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

Punch is, as millions of his fans know, a 7-month-old macaque monkey living at Ichikawa City Zoo, outside Tokyo.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

He said: "The new arrivals will be looked after by their fellow group members and start learning the fascinating Barbary macaque way of life from the very first day of their lives."

From BBC • May 30, 2025

They had likely set the snare for smaller game, like macaque monkeys or antelope, but they’d be happy to eat a bonobo.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer