I. ˈməŋkē, -ki noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably of Low German, Dutch, or Flemish origin; akin to MFlemish Monnekin, nickname for a monkey, Middle Low German Moneke, name of an ape in the epic Reynard the Fox; both probably diminutives of a word of Romance origin; akin to Old Spanish mona monkey, probably short for maimón, maimona, probably from Arabic maymūn, literally, happy
1.
a. : a member of the order Primates excepting man and usually also the lemurs and tarsiers
b. : any of the smaller longer-tailed primates (as members of the New World family Cebidae) as contrasted with the larger nearly or quite tailless apes — see capuchin , guereza , langur , spider monkey
2.
a. : a person resembling a monkey in appearance or behavior (as a mimic or a performer of antics)
b. : a ludicrous figure : dupe
made a monkey of him
3. : an unusually active and mischievous child
4.
a. : a heavy weight or tup slung from the roof of an ironworks and used in upsetting the end of a piece too long to be treated by the forging hammer
b. : a falling weight used for driving something by percussion (as the falling weight of a pile driver or of a drop hammer)
5.
a. : a small pot or crucible used for melting small quantities of glass
b. : monkey pot
6. slang : the sum of 500 pounds or 500 dollars
7. Britain : temper , anger , dander
got his monkey up
8. Britain : a mortgage on a building
9. : cinder notch
10. : an airway in an anthracite mine
11. : a desperate desire for or addiction to drugs regarded as an intolerable burden — often used in the phrase monkey on one's back
II. adjective
1. : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a monkey : resembling that of a monkey
2. : being of small size
a monkey chute in a mine
3. : being something small or odd in location, arrangement, or use on a ship
monkey rudder
III. verb
( monkeyed ; monkeyed ; monkeying ; monkeys )
Etymology: monkey (I)
intransitive verb
1. : to act in a grotesque, mischievous, or meddlesome manner
2.
a. : fool , trifle — often used with around
b. : tamper — usually used with with
warned not to monkey with the controls
transitive verb
: to treat as a monkey does : mimic