monkey

mon·key - [muhng-kee] - /ˈmʌŋki/

noun, plural mon·keys.
1. any mammal of the order Primates, including the guenons, macaques, langurs, and capuchins, but excluding humans, the anthropoid apes, and, usually, the tarsier and prosimians. Compare New World monkey, Old World monkey.
2. the fur of certain species of such long-haired animals.
3. a person likened to such an animal, as a mischievous, agile child or a mimic.
4. a dance, deriving from the twist, in which the partners move their hands as if climbing a pole and jerk their heads back and forth.
5. Slang. an addiction to narcotics.
6. any of various mechanical devices, as the ram of a pile driver.
7. Coal Mining. a small passageway or opening.
8. British Slang. the sum of 500 pounds.
9. Australian Informal. a sheep.

Verb (used without object), mon·keyed, mon·key·ing.
10. Informal. to play or trifle idly; fool (often followed by around  or with  ).

Verb (used with object), mon·keyed, mon·key·ing.
11. to imitate; ape; mimic.
12. to mock.

Idioms
13. a monkey on one's back, Slang.
a. an addiction to a drug or drugs; narcotic dependency.
b. an enduring and often vexing habit or urge.
c. a burdensome problem, situation, or responsibility; personal affliction or hindrance.
14. make a monkey out of, to cause to appear ridiculous; make a fool of. Also, make a monkey of.

Origin:
1520–30;  apparently < Low German;  compare Middle Low German Moneke  (name of son of Martin the Ape in the story of Reynard), equivalent to mone-  (akin to obsolete French monne  she-ape, Spanish, Portuguese mono  ape) + -ke  diminutive suffix


Example Sentences:
He would, for instance, mark that a monkey  had turned its head when the monkey didn't so much as flinch.
Because we're not yet ready to monkey  with our own selves that way.
The joker in the deck is a vervet monkey  who also likes the fruit the staff puts out.
Researchers train a monkey  to feed itself by guiding a mechanical arm with its mind.
One of these targets would give the monkey  advance information about its future reward.
Chimps eat monkey s, which is likely how they acquired the monkey viruses.
Researchers who once dismissed another team's cloning method used the disputed process to create monkey  embryos.
In each session a monkey  was presented with a number of dots.
When our robotic overlords finally do take over, there's a decent chance they'll do it with monkey  brains.
Despite their name, these rare primates have far more in common with their monkey  relatives than any feline.