释义 |
mon·key I. \ˈməŋkē, -ki\ noun (-s) Etymology: probably of Low German, Dutch, or Flemish origin; akin to MFlemish Monnekin, nickname for a monkey, Middle Low German Moneke, name of an ape in the epic Reynard the Fox; both probably diminutives of a word of Romance origin; akin to Old Spanish mona monkey, probably short for maimón, maimona, probably from Arabic maymūn, literally, happy 1. a. : a member of the order Primates excepting man and usually also the lemurs and tarsiers b. : any of the smaller longer-tailed primates (as members of the New World family Cebidae) as contrasted with the larger nearly or quite tailless apes — see capuchin, guereza, langur, spider monkey 2. a. : a person resembling a monkey in appearance or behavior (as a mimic or a performer of antics) b. : a ludicrous figure : dupe < made a monkey of him > 3. : an unusually active and mischievous child 4. a. : a heavy weight or tup slung from the roof of an ironworks and used in upsetting the end of a piece too long to be treated by the forging hammer b. : a falling weight used for driving something by percussion (as the falling weight of a pile driver or of a drop hammer) 5. a. : a small pot or crucible used for melting small quantities of glass b. : monkey pot 6. slang : the sum of 500 pounds or 500 dollars 7. Britain : temper, anger, dander < got his monkey up > 8. Britain : a mortgage on a building 9. : cinder notch 10. : an airway in an anthracite mine 11. : a desperate desire for or addiction to drugs regarded as an intolerable burden — often used in the phrase monkey on one's back II. adjective 1. : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a monkey : resembling that of a monkey 2. : being of small size < a monkey chute in a mine > 3. : being something small or odd in location, arrangement, or use on a ship < monkey rudder > III. verb (monkeyed ; monkeyed ; monkeying ; monkeys) Etymology: monkey (I) intransitive verb 1. : to act in a grotesque, mischievous, or meddlesome manner 2. a. : fool, trifle — often used with around b. : tamper — usually used with with < warned not to monkey with the controls > transitive verb : to treat as a monkey does : mimic |