noun
monkey
MUHNG-kee
noun
1
A small to medium-sized primate, typically with a tail, distinct from apes.
"The monkeys swung from branch to branch, chasing each other."
"A monkey stole a tourist's sunglasses right off his face."
2
A mischievous or playful person, especially a child.
"Stop being such a little monkey and eat your dinner."
verb
1
To fiddle or tamper with something, usually in an informal or careless way.
"Don't monkey with the settings unless you know what you're doing."
How to Use Monkey
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA tree-dwelling primate — or, informally, a playful or mischievous person, or messing around with something.
Common pairings
monkey around
monkey business
monkey with something
Word Forms
monkeyed past tense, monkied past tense, monkeys plural, monkies plural, monkeys singular
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The _____ swung from branch to branch, chasing each other.
Etymology
Origin uncertain; likely traced through Middle Low German to a name given to a monkey character in medieval fables, possibly ultimately from an Arabic word for baboon.