squirrel monkey

American  

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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squirrel monkey British  

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. a related species, Saimiri oerstedi , of Central America, having a reddish coat and dark brown limbs

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Etymology

Origin of squirrel monkey

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

squirrel monkey

The squirrel monkey, which relies strongly on vision, has a brain dominated by the neocortex.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

Estrildid finch songs, Japanese quail calls, squirrel monkey caws and even the ultrasonic vocalizations of house mice were used for comparison in the study.

From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2024

They included Dana the squirrel monkey, Mrs Grivet the African green monkey and an escaped emu that died during an attempt to recapture it.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 20, 2018

It was all harmless fun at first for Baker, a squirrel monkey, and her space travel companion, Able, a rhesus monkey, in the run-up to their 16-minute space flight on May 28, 1959.

From Time ● Nov. 7, 2017

“Aside from Momma Rossi’s squirrel monkey, Poco, no.”

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith