squirrel monkey

noun

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.

Nearby words

squirmy, squirrel, squirrel away, squirrel cage, squirrel corn, squirrel monkey, squirrel's-foot fern, squirrel-tail grass, squirrelfish, squirrely, squirt

Origin of squirrel monkey

First recorded in 1765–75

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for squirrel monkey

Tamarin, tam′a-rin, n. a small South American squirrel-monkey.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
It was a beautiful little creature—a true saïmiri, or squirrel-monkey, called the “titi.”
Popular Adventure Tales|Mayne Reid

British Dictionary definitions for squirrel monkey

squirrel monkey

noun

a small New World monkey, Saimiri sciureus, of N South American forests, having a yellowish-green coat and orange feet and limbs

red-backed squirrel monkey a related species, Saimiri oerstedi, of Central America, having a reddish coat and dark brown limbs

Word Origin for squirrel monkey

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