What does douroucouli mean?
The douroucouli is a small nocturnal monkey native to the forests of Central and South America, better known in English as the night monkey or owl monkey. Belonging to the genus Aotus, it is remarkable as the only genuinely nocturnal monkey of the New World: its unusually large eyes give it excellent night vision, allowing it to feed on fruit, leaves, insects, and small animals after dark while avoiding daytime predators. The douroucouli lives in family groups in tropical forests, from Panama down through much of South America, and is generally quiet and inconspicuous, which makes it difficult to observe in the wild. In English usage, 'douroucouli' appears chiefly in zoological and natural-history contexts, where it lends a distinctive, somewhat exotic flavor; most general readers encounter the creature under its more familiar names. Its combination of rarity in everyday language and genuine biological interest makes it a favorite of vocabulary lists and trivia alike.
nounA small nocturnal South American monkey of the genus Aotus, also known as the night monkey or owl monkey, having large eyes and a rounded head.
- A nocturnal New World monkey of the genus Aotus (family Aotidae), native to Central and South America.
"The douroucouli emerges only after dusk, its enormous eyes adapted to the darkness of the forest canopy."
"Zoologists studying the douroucouli have noted that it lacks the color vision found in most other monkeys."
"At the wildlife reserve, visitors rarely see the douroucouli by day, since it sleeps huddled in tree hollows until sunset."
Regular English plural; the French-style plural 'douroucoulis' is standard in English text.
"The researchers observed several douroucoulis moving through the canopy after nightfall."
It's the only monkey in the Americas that's genuinely nocturnal — and it's sometimes called the owl monkey because its huge eyes make it look like one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of douroucouli
The word 'douroucouli' entered English via French, borrowed from a Tupi-Guarani word used by indigenous peoples of South America for the night monkey. It has been used in English natural-history writing since at least the 18th century, when European scientists were cataloguing the fauna of the Amazon. The name thus reflects the colonial-era transmission of indigenous American vocabulary into European scientific language, much like 'tapir', 'jaguar', and 'toucan'.
How douroucouli is actually used
A technical zoological term, used mainly in scientific and natural-history writing; 'night monkey' or 'owl monkey' are more common in general English.
Easily confused with douroucouli
A cuscus is an Australasian marsupial; a douroucouli is a South American nocturnal monkey — both are obscure animal names but entirely different creatures.