Monk vs. Monkey — What's the Difference?

A monk (, from Greek: μοναχός, monachos, "single, solitary" via Latin monachus) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedicate his life to serving all other living beings, or to be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live his or her life in prayer and contemplation.

Monkey is a common name that may refer to certain groups or species of simian mammals of infraorder Simiiformes. The term is applied descriptively to groups of primates, such as families of New World monkeys and Old World monkeys.

A man who is a member of a brotherhood living in a monastery and devoted to a discipline prescribed by his order

Any of various tailed primates of the suborder Anthropoidea, including the macaques, baboons, capuchins, and marmosets, and excluding the apes.

A male member of a monastic order who has devoted his life for religious service.

A nonhuman ape. Not in scientific use.

In earlier usage, an eremite or hermit devoted to solitude, as opposed to a cenobite, who lived communally.

One who behaves in a way suggestive of a monkey, as a mischievous child or a mimic.

(slang) A male who leads an isolated life; a loner, a hermit.

The iron block of a pile driver.

(slang) An unmarried man who does not have sexual relationships.

(Slang) A person who is mocked, duped, or made to appear a fool

(slang) A judge.

Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a person with dark skin.

(printing) A blotch or spot of ink on a printed page, caused by the ink not being properly distributed; distinguished from a friar, or white spot caused by a deficiency of ink.

To play, fiddle, trifle, or tamper with something

A piece of tinder made of agaric, used in firing the powder hose or train of a mine.

To behave in a mischievous or apish manner

A South American monkey (Pithecia monachus); also applied to other species, as Cebus xanthosternos.

To imitate or mimic; ape.

The bullfinch, common bullfinch, European bullfinch, or Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula).

(properly) A member of the clade Simiiformes other than those in the clade Hominoidea containing humans and apes, generally (but not universally) distinguished by small size, tails, and cheek pouches.

The monkfish.

Any simian primate other than hominids, any monkey or ape.

(historical) A fuse for firing mines.

A human considered to resemble monkeys in some way, including:

(colloquial) A monkey.

A naughty or mischievous person, especially a child.

To be a monk.

(slang) The person in the motorcycle sidecar in sidecar racing.

To act like a monk; especially to be contemplative.

(pejorative) idiot: a person of minimal intelligence.

To monkey or meddle; to behave in a manner that is not systematic.

(pejorative) uggo: an unattractive person, especially one whose face supposedly resembles a monkey's.

To be intoxicated or confused.

Synonym of puppet: a person dancing to another's tune, a person controlled or directed by another.

To be attached in a way that sticks out.

A menial employee who does a repetitive job supposedly requiring minimal intelligence.

A man who retires from the ordinary temporal concerns of the world, and devotes himself to religion; one of a religious community of men inhabiting a monastery, and bound by vows to a life of chastity, obedience, and poverty.

A black, a black person.

A blotch or spot of ink on a printed page, caused by the ink not being properly distributed. It is distinguished from a friar, or white spot caused by a deficiency of ink.

(historical) A small trading vessel of the sixteenth century.

A piece of tinder made of agaric, used in firing the powder hose or train of a mine.

The vessel in which a mess receives its full allowance of grog.

A South American monkey (Pithecia monachus); also applied to other species, as Cebus xanthocephalus.

The weight of a pile driver or drop hammer.

A male religious living in a cloister and devoting himself to contemplation and prayer and work

A fluid consisting of hydrochloric acid and zinc, used in the process of soldering.

United States jazz pianist who was one of the founders of the bebop style (1917-1982)

(slang) five hundred, especially (British) 500 pounds sterling or 500 dollars.

(blackjack) face card.

(slang) A person's temper, said to be "up" when they are angry.

(slang) A drug habit; an addiction; a compulsion.

(dance) A dance popularized by Major Lance in 1963, now usually only its upper-body dance move involving exaggerated drumming motions.

To meddle; to mess (with).

(transitive) To mimic; to ape.

In the most general sense, any one of the Quadrumana, including apes, baboons, and lemurs.

A term of disapproval, ridicule, or contempt, as for a mischievous child.

The weight or hammer of a pile driver, that is, a very heavy mass of iron, which, being raised on high, falls on the head of the pile, and drives it into the earth; the falling weight of a drop hammer used in forging.

A small trading vessel of the sixteenth century.

To act or treat as a monkey does; to ape; to act in a grotesque or meddlesome manner.

Any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

One who is playfully mischievous

Play around with or alter or falsify, usually secretively or dishonestly;

Do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly;