talapoin
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tal·a·poin
(tăl′ə-poin′)n.
A small monkey (Miopithecus talapoin) of western equatorial Africa, having a long tail and greenish fur.
[From Early Modern English talapoy, talapoin, Southeast Asian Buddhist monk (from the general association of monkeys with monks, and perhaps specifically from the resemblance of the monkey's orange markings to the robes of Buddhist monks ), from Portuguese talapões, pl. of talapão, Southeast Asian Buddhist monk, from Mon tala poi, our lord (title of respect for a monk) : tala, lord (from Proto-Austroasiatic *tər-la) + poi, we, us (of Proto-Austroasiatic origin).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
talapoin
(ˈtæləˌpɔɪn)n
1. (Animals) the smallest of the guenon monkeys, Cercopithecus talapoin, of swampy central W African forests, having olive-green fur and slightly webbed digits
2. (Buddhism) (in Myanmar and Thailand)
a. a Buddhist monk
b. a title of respect used in addressing such a monk
[C16: from French, literally: Buddhist monk, from Portuguese talapão, from Mon tala pōi our lord; originally jocular, from the appearance of the monkey]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
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| Noun | 1. | talapoin - smallest guenon monkey; of swampy central and west African forests guenon, guenon monkey - small slender African monkey having long hind limbs and tail and long hair around the face |
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