Old World monkey

American  

[ohld wurld muhng-kee] / ˈoʊld ˌwɜrld ˈmʌŋ ki /

noun

1. any of various catarrhine primates inhabiting a range of environments in Africa, Arabia, and Asia, typically having a hairless face, forward- or downward-directed nostrils, relatively short arms, flat nails, and a stubby or vestigial tail, as seen in most representative species, including baboons, colobuses, and mandrills: in contrast, long, often prehensile tails are characteristic of New World monkeys

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Old World monkey British  

noun

1. any monkey of the family Cercopithecidae, including macaques, baboons, and mandrills. They are more closely related to anthropoid apes than are the New World monkeys, having nostrils that are close together and nonprehensile tails Compare New World monkey

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Etymology

Origin of Old World monkey

First recorded in 1835–40

Example Sentences

Activities such as grooming, touching the shoulder or root of the tail, embracing, lip contact, and greeting ceremonies have all been observed in the Indian langur, an Old World monkey.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The team identified them as ape and Old World monkey ancestors from the features of their molars, which paleontologists routinely use to tell primates apart.

From Science Magazine • May 15, 2013

As for the team's claims to have found the earliest known ape and Old World monkey ancestors, he says that "their identifications are as good as they can be with the material in hand."

From Science Magazine • May 15, 2013

Geladas are an Old World monkey closely related to other baboons, but they feed almost exclusively on grass, making them the only grazing primate.

From New York Times • Sep. 28, 2010

Both Darwin's vertebral plexus, and Herbert Spencer's "line of individuation," must begin with the lancelet and its disputed head, and end in the Catarrhine or Old World monkey.

From Life: Its True Genesis by Wright, R. W.