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Definition of howler monkey
howler monkey
Plural:howler monkeys
howler monkey Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
5
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A large, sluggish New World monkey of the genus Alouatta, native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, characterized by a prehensile tail and an enlarged hyoid bone that enables a highly resonant, territorial howling call.
Example
"While hiking through the dense Costa Rican rainforest, we heard the deafening, guttural roar of a howler monkey echoing across the canopy."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for howler monkeyWord Origin & Etymology
Derived from the animal's distinctive, booming vocalizations that can carry for several miles through the dense rainforest canopy. The word 'howl' traces back to Middle English 'houlen', and 'monkey' likely originates from the Low German 'Moneke'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Howler monkey. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/howler monkey