monkey

noun (plural monkeys)

• 1a small to medium-sized primate that typically has a long tail, most kinds of which live in trees in tropical countries.

  • Families Cebidae and Callitrichidae (or Callithricidae) ( New World monkeys, with prehensile tails), and Cercopithecidae ( Old World monkeys, without prehensile tails)
• (in general use) any primate.
• a mischievous person, especially a child:where have you been, you little monkey!
• a person who is dominated or controlled by another (with reference to the monkey traditionally kept by an organ grinder).

• 2a pile-driving machine consisting of a heavy hammer or ram working vertically in a groove.

verb (monkeys, monkeying, monkeyed)

• behave in a silly or playful way.
• (monkey with) tamper with:don’t monkey with that lock!
• [with object] archaic ape; mimic.