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.

---

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

---

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

Example Sentences

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

The marmoset was subsequently found and signed into the care of the RSPCA, before being transferred to specialist primate experts at Monkey World in Dorset for ongoing care.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2021

The only other non-human mammal that scientists have documented babbling is the pygmy marmoset, a small South American primate species that is not capable of vocal imitation.

From Salon • Aug. 28, 2021

Xita, a Rondon’s marmoset, was rescued after giving birth in Porto Velho, Brazil, in August.

From The Guardian • Oct. 9, 2020

The Master looked at the gray-haired lady with the marmoset dæmon in her lap, and a flicker of amusement passed between them.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman