marmoset

noun

mar·​mo·​set ˈmär-mə-ˌset 

-ˌzet

: any of numerous small soft-furred South and Central American monkeys (family Callithricidae) with claws instead of nails on all the digits except the big toe

Illustration of marmoset

Examples of marmoset in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His friends are a snow leopard with a big white mustache and a thimble-size marmoset who also sports a big white mustache. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024

Species include marmosets, cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, African Greens, and several New World species. —Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 10 Nov. 2024

Those primates were mostly macaques and marmosets; the use of chimpanzees (our closest ape relative) is now banned in many countries, including the US. —Celia Ford, Vox, 6 Sep. 2024

Scientists have used many different animals as a model of aging in the lab, from microscopic worms and African fish, to mice, macaques, and marmosets. —Celia Ford, Vox, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English marmusette kind of monkey, from Middle French marmoset grotesque figure, from marmouser to mumble, of imitative origin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

marmoset

noun

mar·​mo·​set ˈmär-mə-ˌset 

-mə-ˌzet

: any of numerous South and Central American monkeys that have soft fur, a bushy tail, and claws instead of nails except on the big toe