monkey

American  

[muhng-kee] / ˈmʌŋ ki /

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.

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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.

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.

monkey British  

/ 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

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verb

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

2. rare (tr) to imitate; ape

monkey More Idioms  

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

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Sensitive Note

See simianization.

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• monkeyish adjective
• monkeyishly adverb
• monkeyishness noun

Etymology

Origin of monkey

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

Example Sentences

“To be honest with you, it’s like, I don’t know — but you gotta get that monkey off our back,” McConkey said.

From Los Angeles Times

Multiple monkeys are on the loose in St Louis, Missouri, sparking confusion and concern from the city's animal control officials, who said they do not know where the primates came from.

From BBC

Mad monkey turns guitar carnage up to 11.

From MarketWatch

Giménez's restoration went viral and earned the nickname "Monkey Christ", because of Christ's head resembling a hairy monkey.

From BBC

With the monkey off his back, Stokes will travel to Sydney for the fifth Test desperate for another win.

From BBC

Related Words

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