monkey men

Noun

monkey man (plural monkey men)

1. (obsolete) A man who owns a monkey or monkeys; an organ grinder who keeps a pet monkey as part of his attraction.
   • Everybody seemed happy. The goose and marble man, the monte player, purse trickster, monkey man, ginger-pop man, ice cream vendor, and the young man who gave away pound notes for sixteen shillings, and after wearables and so called jewellery at a grand profit to himself, all were happy and...1885 September 23, The Singleton Argus, NSW, page 2, column 3
2. A supposed missing link, having intermediate characteristics of human and non-human primates; any extinct hominin.
   • We seem no nearer, however, to the discovery of that more important link between the quadrumana and the bimana - the monkey-man, or man-monkey, gifted with a rudimentary hippocampus minor, or toe-bone, and rejoicing in the possession of articulate speech.1884 September 11, The Hamilton Spectator, Victoria, page 2, column 5
3. (derogatory) A man with simian characteristics.
   • Cr Greenhill interjected that Cr M'Gregor was a "monkey man," whereupon the latter called the attention of the Mayor to his comments[.]1883 March 23, The Mount Alexander Mail, Victoria, page 2, column 5
4. A folklore creature that is part monkey, part human.
   • Monkey, a Japanese-made series, features a youthful Buddhist priest, a monkey-man, a smallish gentleman who fell into the belly of a pig, an artistic type who lived under water, and a dragon-turned-horse.1981 July 22, The Australian Women's Weekly, page 134, column 1
5. A cryptid that is part monkey, part human.
   • April 5, 2001, the Monkey Man attacks Anil Gopal.2003, Henry Billings, On the Edge: Teacher's Guide, page 37