Definition of monkey

The origin of the word "monkey" is uncertain, but it is believed to have originated in the 14th century from Arabic. The Arabic word "munki" (منكي) referred to a type of baboon or ape, which was imported from India to the Middle East. The word was later adopted into Middle English as "monke" or "monky", gradually changing to "monkey" over time. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the word was influenced by the Latin term "monachus", meaning "mischief" or "troublemaker", but this connection is not universally accepted. It's also possible that the word "monkey" comes from the sound of the animal's chatter, which could have been imitated by early European travelers to Asia and Africa. Regardless of its exact origin, the word "monkey" has been used in the English language since the 15th century to refer to various non-human primates.