marmoset

[ mahr-muh-zet, -set ]
/ ˈmɑr məˌzɛt, -ˌsɛt /

noun

any of several small, squirrellike, South and Central American monkeys of the genera Callithrix, Leontocebus, etc., having soft fur and a long, nonprehensile tail: some species are endangered.

Origin of marmoset

1350–1400; Middle English marmusette a kind of monkey, an idol < Old French marmouset, apparently equivalent to marmos(er) to murmur ( marm- (see marmot) + -oser v. suffix) + -et -et

Words nearby marmoset

marmes man, marmite, marmolada, marmorated, marmoreal, marmoset, marmot, marne, maroc, marocain, maroni

Example sentences from the Web for marmoset

British Dictionary definitions for marmoset

marmoset
/ (ˈmɑːməˌzɛt) /

noun

any small South American monkey of the genus Callithrix and related genera, having long hairy tails, clawed digits, and tufts of hair around the head and ears: family Callithricidae
pygmy marmoset a related form, Cebuella pygmaea: the smallest monkey, inhabiting tropical forests of the Amazon

Word Origin for marmoset

C14: from Old French marmouset grotesque figure, of obscure origin