marmoset

American  

[mahr-muh-set, -zet] / ˈmɑr məˌsɛt, -ˌzɛt /

noun

1. any of several small, squirrellike, South and Central American monkeys of the genera Callithrix, Cebuella, etc., having soft fur and a long, nonprehensile tail: some species are endangered.

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marmoset British  

/ ˈmɑːməˌzɛt /

noun

1. any small South American monkey of the genus Callithrix and related genera, having long hairy tails, clawed digits, and tufts of hair around the head and ears: family Callithricidae

2. a related form, Cebuella pygmaea: the smallest monkey, inhabiting tropical forests of the Amazon

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Etymology

Origin of marmoset

1350–1400; Middle English marmusette a kind of monkey, an idol < Old French marmouset, apparently equivalent to marmos ( er ) to murmur ( marm- ( see marmot) + -oser v. suffix) + -et -et

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

marmoset

Together, these changes reduce the number of neurons produced, contributing to the smaller size and smoother surface of the marmoset brain.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

A spokesperson for the charity said the marmoset was trapped inside a small, metal bird cage wrapped in a chequered plastic bag.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

A 1964 outbreak in a Rotterdam, Netherlands, zoo sickened giant anteaters, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, a gibbon, and a marmoset.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 7, 2022

Is the marmoset JPG mine, or do I own a database entry that says I have a claim to a certain marmoset JPG?

From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2022

Dame Hannah Relf was the head of one of the women’s colleges, an elderly gray-haired lady whose daemon was a marmoset.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

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