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Added 9 October 2026

monkey

/ˈmʌŋki/ noun

In Latin: simia, simius Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about monkey at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians).
One who is playfully mischievous.

verb

Play around with or alter or falsify, usually secretively or dishonestly.
Someone tampered with the documents on my desk
Do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly.
The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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