What does capuchin mean?
Capuchin is a noun with two principal meanings. Its dominant modern sense refers to a small, highly intelligent monkey native to the forests of Central and South America, belonging to the genus Cebus. Capuchins are easily recognized by the dark patch of fur on the crown of the head that suggested the name, and they are among the most studied of all primates, famed for their dexterity, problem-solving, and rare use of stone tools. The word's older sense denotes a hooded cloak, named after the Capuchin friars — a branch of the Franciscan order founded in the sixteenth century — whose distinctive pointed hoods gave the garment its name. The coffee called cappuccino shares this origin, its colour evoking the friars' brown habits. Today, when people speak of a capuchin they nearly always mean the monkey, whether in wildlife documentaries, zoos, or research on animal cognition, making it a vivid and well-travelled word in English.
A small, agile South and Central American monkey of the genus Cebus, characterized by a dark cap of fur on the head and noted for its intelligence and manual dexterity.
"White-faced capuchins live in troops and spend much of the day foraging for fruit and insects."
Usually used attributively as 'capuchin monkey'; often capitalized in taxonomic contexts.
A hooded cloak, typically with a pointed hood, modelled on the habit worn by Capuchin friars.
"She pulled her woollen capuchin tight against the sea wind."
Chiefly historical or literary; sometimes written 'Capuchin cloak'.
Regular plural; standard when referring to groups of the monkeys.
"Capuchins in captivity can live for more than forty years."
The cappuccino you drink is literally named after these little monkeys' namesakes — the Capuchin friars whose hooded habits inspired both the coffee's colour and the word itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of capuchin
Capuchin entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century via French capucin, from Italian cappuccino, a diminutive of cappuccio meaning 'hood'. The Italian term derives ultimately from Late Latin cappa, 'cloak or hood', the same root that gives us cape, cap, and chapel. The word originally described the hooded habit worn by the Capuchin Franciscans before being applied to the monkeys whose head markings recalled those hoods.
Usage notes
In modern usage 'capuchin' almost always refers to the monkey, often as 'capuchin monkey'; the senses relating to the friars' hooded cloak and habit are largely historical or literary.
Don't confuse with
Cappuccino is the espresso-and-steamed-milk coffee drink whose name derives from the same Capuchin friars (the drink's colour recalling their habits), while capuchin denotes the monkey or the hooded cloak.
Howler monkeys are larger New World primates famous for their loud vocalizations, whereas capuchins are smaller, more dexterous monkeys prized for their tool use.