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Glite Dictionary
🐒 A monkey 🦝 A raccoon-like animal 🦅 A young eagle
ringtail

ringtail

8.9
A small monkey from Central and South America with thick hair on its head like a hood
  • noun
  • /ˈrɪŋˌteɪl/
  • US
translation icon : mono capuchino
  • The ringtail's fluffy head hair gives it a unique look among the diverse monkey species of Central America.

Examples

  • PHOTO (COLOR): An inhabitant of northeastern Australia's tropical rain forest, the great ringtail possum (Pseudochirops archeri) is intolerant of heat.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The ringtail monkey is notable for its distinctive thick hair that resembles a monk's cowl.

  • In South America, the ringtail is often found in tropical forests, where its unique appearance helps it blend in.

Synonyms

capuchin
vsringtail
4 8.2

A small monkey from Central and South America with thick hair on its head

is the same general monkey noted for hair like a monk's cowl
Cebus capucinus
vsringtail
  • Specialized
9.9

A small monkey with a white face and dark body from Central and South America

is the broader name applied to similar monkeys rather than that precise species

Surface Forms

ringtail singular
ringtails plural

Morphology

ringtail = ring + tail (semi-transparent) = ring + tail

Formally a compound 'ring' + 'tail', but the given sense highlights head hair (monk's cowl) rather than a ringed tail, so the link to the components is not fully obvious to learners.

Etymology

Ringtail comes from the simple parts ring and tail, meaning 'tail with rings'. The name was used for a monkey with a striking head or tail pattern (the head can look like a monk's hood), so the word helps you remember the animal by its look.