Relating to or resembling Old World monkeys, a group of primates that includes baboons, macaques, and guenons.
From Greek 'kerkopithecos' (tail-monkey), combining 'kerkos' (tail) and 'pithecos' (ape/monkey). The suffix '-oid' means 'resembling' or 'of the nature of.' This taxonomic term emerged in the 19th century to classify primates with specific tail and facial features.
Cercopithecoid monkeys are why we have the phrase 'monkey business'—their complex social hierarchies and playful intelligence fascinated European naturalists so much that the group became the template for understanding all monkey behavior, even though they're incredibly diverse!
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