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squirrel monkey

noun
  1. either of two small, long-tailed monkeys, Saimiri oerstedii of Central America and S. sciureus of South America, having a small white face with black muzzle and gold, brown, or greenish fur: S. oerstedii is endangered.
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Origin of squirrel monkey

First recorded in 1765–75
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for squirrel monkey

Historical Examples

  • It was a beautiful little creature—a true saïmiri, or squirrel-monkey, called the “titi.”

    Popular Adventure Tales

    Mayne Reid

  • Tamarin, tam′a-rin, n. a small South American squirrel-monkey.

British Dictionary definitions for squirrel monkey

squirrel monkey

noun
  1. a small New World monkey, Saimiri sciureus, of N South American forests, having a yellowish-green coat and orange feet and limbs
  2. red-backed squirrel monkey a related species, Saimiri oerstedi, of Central America, having a reddish coat and dark brown limbs
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Word Origin

C18: so called because it is small and tree-dwelling
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012