Word.ws English Dictionary

monkey model

monkey model noun: a downgraded version of a weapon for export or war-time mass production, which lacks many advanced functions of the original version.

Noun

monkey model (plural monkey models)

  1. (informal) A downgraded version of a weapon for export or war-time mass production, which lacks many advanced functions of the original version.
    • But as Suvorov observes, the Soviets manufacture two variants of equipment: the standard model and the stripped-down “monkey” model for export, which is sold abroad as “latest” equipment.1983, Terry B. O’Rourke, “The Soviet Threat”, in Claremont Review of Books, volume 11, number 4
    • 1974 […] Development of initial export ("monkey model") version of T-722013 February, “Military Vehicles Forecast: T-72”, in Forecast International
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see monkey, model.

Forms of monkey model

pluralmonkey models

Origin of monkey model

Coined by Soviet and Russian writer Viktor Suvorov in 1982

Questions about monkey model

What does monkey model mean?
Monkey model means a downgraded version of a weapon for export or war-time mass production, which lacks many advanced functions of the original version.
What part of speech is monkey model?
Monkey model is a noun.
What is the plural of monkey model?
The plural of monkey model is monkey models.

Words near monkey model in the dictionary

  1. monkey man
  2. monkey meat
  3. monkey men
  4. monkey metal
  5. monkey mind
  6. monkey model
  7. monkey models
  8. monkey motion
  9. monkey motions
  10. monkey nut
  11. monkey nuts

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: monkey model (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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