vervet

American  

[vur-vit] / ˈvɜr vɪt /

noun

1. an African monkey, Cercopithecus aethiops pygerythrus, allied to the green monkey and the grivet, but distinguished by a rusty patch at the root of the tail.

---

vervet British  

/ ˈvɜːvɪt /

noun

1. a variety of a South African guenon monkey, Cercopithecus aethiops, having dark hair on the hands and feet and a reddish patch beneath the tail Compare green monkey grivet

---

Etymology

Origin of vervet

1880–85; < French, equivalent to ver ( t ) green ( see vert) + ( gri ) vet grivet

Example Sentences

A primate expert from St Louis Zoo has identified the animals as vervet monkeys, the health department said.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

Now researchers reporting in the journal iScience on December 19 have found similarly varied social traditions and styles among neighboring groups of vervet monkeys.

From Science Daily • Dec. 19, 2023

But bountiful evidence now shows that culture exists in a wide variety of species, from bighorn sheep and vervet monkeys to meerkats and cranes.

From Scientific American • Mar. 7, 2023

In Africa, vervet males leave their birth troop when they reach sexual maturity at 5 years and join another.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 29, 2022

They can hear the call of a male vervet and recognize whether it comes from their own group or a neighboring group.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell