monkey

English Online Dictionary. What means monkey‎? What does monkey mean?

English

Etymology

Uncertain. May be derived from monk +‎ -ey (diminutive suffix), or borrowed from Middle Low German Moneke, the name of the son of Martin the Ape in Reynard the Fox (which may represent an unattested colloquial Middle Low German *moneke, *moneken), itself of uncertain origin. Possibly derived from a Romance term represented by Late Middle French monne (whence Modern French mone (“monkey”)) or earlier Old French monnekin (“monkey”), originally Monnekin, the name of a monkey in Li Dis d'Entendement. Compare also Old French and Middle French monin (“monkey”). The French terms may have been borrowed from Italian monna (“monkey”), from Old Spanish mona (“female monkey”), itself a shortening of mamona, variant of maimón, from Arabic مَيْمُون (maymūn, “baboon”)). However, Old French monnekin may alternatively be unrelated to the other terms, instead being a borrowing of Early Middle Dutch mannekin (a diminutive of a personal name or surname; hence, nickname, literally “miniature man”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmʌŋki/
• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /ˈmʊŋki/
• Rhymes: -ʌŋki
• Hyphenation: monk‧ey

Noun

monkey (plural monkeys or (obsolete) monkies)

1. (properly) A member of the clade Simiiformes other than those in the clade Hominoidea containing apes, generally (but not universally) distinguished by small size, tails, and cheek pouches.

2. (inexact, sometimes proscribed) Any simian primate other than hominids, any monkey or ape.

3. (figurative, generally derogatory) A human considered to resemble monkeys in some way, including:
   1. (informal, sometimes offensive) A naughty or mischievous person, especially a child.
   2. (slang) The person in the motorcycle sidecar in sidecar racing.
   3. (derogatory) Synonym of idiot: a person of minimal intelligence.
   4. (derogatory) Synonym of uggo: an unattractive person, especially one whose face supposedly resembles a monkey's.
   5. (slang, derogatory) Synonym of puppet: a person dancing to another's tune, a person controlled or directed by another.

   6. (slang, usually derogatory) A menial employee who does a repetitive job supposedly requiring minimal intelligence.

4. (slang, derogatory, ethnic slur, offensive) A black person.
5. (slang, vulgar, uncommon) A penis.
6. (historical) A small trading vessel of the sixteenth century.
7. (slang, nautical) The vessel in which a mess receives its full allowance of grog.
8. The weight of a pile driver or drop hammer.
9. A fluid consisting of hydrochloric acid and zinc, used in the process of soldering.
10. (slang) Synonym of five hundred, especially (British) 500 pounds sterling or (US, dated) 500 dollars.
11. (blackjack) Synonym of face card.
12. (slang) A person's temper, said to be "up" when they are angry.
13. (slang) A drug habit; an addiction; a compulsion.
    • 1938, Alfred R. Lindesmith, "Argot of the Underworld Drug Addict", Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 29, Issue 2 (July-August):

      Monkey: a habit, as in "I have a monkey on my back." Usually used when one is sick from lack of drugs.

14. (dance) A dance popularized by Major Lance in 1963, now usually only its upper-body dance move involving exaggerated drumming motions.
    • 1963, Curtis Mayfield, "The Monkey Time" (video):

      Do the Monkey, yeah,
      Do the Monkey, yeah,
      Ah, twist them hips,
      Let your backbone slip,
      Now move your feet,
      Get on the beat...

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Chukchi: маӈкы (maṇky)
• → Coeur d'Alene: moonki
• → Irish: moncaí
• → Navajo: mágí
• → Scottish Gaelic: muncaidh
• → Tumbuka: munkhwele
• → Welsh: mwnci

Translations

Verb

monkey (third-person singular simple present monkeys, present participle monkeying, simple past and past participle monkeyed or monkied)

1. (intransitive, informal) To meddle; to mess (with).

   Synonyms: interfere, fiddle
2. (transitive) To mimic; to ape.

Derived terms

• monkey around
• monkey up
• spank the monkey

Translations

See also

• ape
• primate

Anagrams

• Myōken