Skip to main content

monkey — a small to medium-sized primate that typically has a long tail and lives in trees

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a small to medium-sized primate that typically has a long tail and lives in trees

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈmʌŋki/

Example Sentences

  • The monkey at the zoo learned to open water bottles by watching visitors.
  • Don't monkey with the computer settings unless you know what you're doing.
  • My little brother always monkeys my dance moves.

monkey

NOUN

[/ˈmʌŋki/]

a small to medium-sized primate that typically has a long tail and lives in trees

Image coming soon

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈmʌŋki/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈmʌŋki/

🌳Etymology

Rootmonkey

Origin

The word monkey derives from 16th-century German 'Moneke', which came from Middle Dutch 'moneke'. Interestingly, the term originally referred to a specific monkey character in a medieval fable before generalizing to denote the animal itself.

Breakdown

Middle Dutch 'moneke' (possibly from a proper name used in medieval literature) → German 'Moneke' → English 'monkey'. The suffix '-ey' or '-ie' was added in English, a common diminutive or nominative ending.

🎵Rhyme

funky
chunky
junky

🔗Collocations

monkey business
monkey around
monkey wrench
barrel of monkeys
monkey see, monkey do
cheeky monkey

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“The monkey at the zoo learned to open water bottles by watching visitors.”

“Don't monkey with the computer settings unless you know what you're doing.”

😄 Fun example

“My little brother always monkeys my dance moves.”

“The research team studied monkey behavior in their natural habitat.”

📚Related Words

Want to master 27,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.