I. ˈməŋk noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English munk, monk, from Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Late Greek monachos, from Greek, adjective, single, from monos single, alone; akin to Old High German mangolōn, mengen to lack, be without, Old Irish mēn smooth, soft, menb small, Tocharian B menki less, Greek manos sparse, Sanskrit manāk a little; basic meaning: small
1. : a man who is a member of a monastic order ; also : a man who has retired from the world to devote himself to asceticism as a solitary or cenobite — compare hermit
2.
a. : a So. American saki ( Pithecia monachus )
b. dialect Britain : the European bullfinch
c. : angler 2
3. archaic : a blotch or dark spot on a printed sheet caused by excessive deposition of ink — compare friar
4. : monk shoe
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: by shortening
: monkey