howler monkey

noun

Updated on: 6 Apr 2018

Definition of howler monkey

: any of a genus (Alouatta) of South and Central American monkeys that have a long prehensile tail and enlargement of the hyoid and laryngeal apparatus enabling them to make loud howling noises

Recent Examples of howler monkey from the Web

The only sounds at La Casa de Campana were natural ones: the trilling of cicadas, songs of wild birds, and an occasional round of portentous roaring from a group of howler monkeys somewhere in the nearby forest.

— jon lee anderson, Condé Nast Traveler, "Stepping Beyond Cartagena: Exploring Colombia's Northern Reaches," 21 Mar. 2018
Audubon Zoo's World of Primates exhibit welcomed a new baby female black howler monkey in January.

— wilborn p. nobles iii, NOLA.com, "Audubon Zoo welcomes a new baby howler monkey," 12 Mar. 2018
Yellow fever is tearing through primate populations, wiping out squirrel and howler monkeys.

— ellen airhart, WIRED, "These Conservationists Are Desperate to Defrost Snake Sperm," 13 Mar. 2018
Roaring howler monkeys serenaded us but kept out of sight.

— alex pulaski, San Francisco Chronicle, "Size matters: Small-boat cruise offers close-up of Panama, Costa Rica," 14 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'howler monkey.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.