a small New World monkey, Saimiri sciureus, of N South American forests, having a yellowish-green coat and orange feet and limbs
2. red-backed squirrel monkey
Word origin
C18: so called because it is small and tree-dwelling
squirrel monkey in American English
any of a genus (Saimiri) of small, tropical, New World monkeys (family Cebidae) characterized by naked black skin around the nose and mouth, white fur around the eyes and ears, and a long tail that is not prehensile