Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Leontocebus oedipus

Leontocebus oedipus

9.9
A small South American monkey with a long white crest of hair on its head
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : tamarino de cabeza de algodón
  • A Leontocebus oedipus can be recognized by its distinctive white crest of hair.

Examples

  • The critically endangered Leontocebus oedipus is native to northwestern Colombia.

  • Researchers observed Leontocebus oedipus in the wild to study its complex social behavior.

  • The Leontocebus oedipus is known for its distinctive white hair.

  • Did you see the Leontocebus oedipus at the zoo?

  • A Leontocebus oedipus can be recognized by its distinctive white crest of hair.

  • The critically endangered Leontocebus oedipus is native to northwestern Colombia.

  • Researchers observed Leontocebus oedipus in the wild to study its complex social behavior.

Synonyms

pinche
vsLeontocebus oedipus
  • Specialized
9 9.9

A small South American monkey with white tufts of hair on its head

is the same species but named differently and noted for a long white crest
tamarin
vsLeontocebus oedipus
1 8.6

A small monkey from South America with soft fur and a long tail

is a specific species with a prominent white crest on the head

Surface Forms

Leontocebus oedipus singular
Leontocebus oedipuses plural

Morphology

Leontocebus + oedipus

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) and denotes a specific animal species; its common-name meaning (cotton-top tamarin) is a conventional taxonomic label rather than a composition of ordinary English word meanings. A B1 learner who knows the listed constituents (one of which is not even a standard dictionary word) would not be able to derive the species identity or description from them without specialized biological/taxonomic knowledge, so the expression is not transparently interpretable.

Etymology

Leontocebus oedipus is a name made from old words that paint a picture: Leontocebus hints at a little lion and oedipus is a famous old name. The monkey's long white crest looks like a tiny lion's mane, so the name helps you remember the 'cotton-top tamarin'.