marmoset
(ˈmɑːməˌzɛt)
Forms: 4–5 marmusette, marmesette, 5, (9) marmozette, -usete, -isset, maremusset, 5–6 marmesette, -osette, 5–7 marmeset, 6 mermoset, -osite, marmosete, -azat, -asit, -issed, -esot, mormosett, marmsat, 6–7 marmaset(t, 6, 8 marmouset, 6–9 marmozet, (9 marmozette), 7 marmosit(e, -azet, -osat, -uset, -ousite, -osett, mormaset, malmaset, 5– marmoset.
[a. OF. marmouset grotesque image, in 1280 latinized marmosetum (not marmoretum as given by Littré); in mod.F. the word means also ‘little man’; the sense ‘ape’, though not found in Fr. dicts., is in provincial use (see Honnorat Dict. Prov.). Hence MDu. marmoset in all three senses.
The origin of the Fr. word is obscure; it has been conjectured to be a derivative of L. marmor marble, but the form is not easy to account for. It can hardly be unconnected with F. marmot little child (whence prob. It. marmocchio), in early use also ‘monkey’, ‘grotesque statuette’; forms app. cognate are med.L. marmōnetus, mammōnetus (Promp. Parv.), mammōn-em monkey. Some have supposed the source to be OF. merme small (:—L. minimus); others have suggested that the word in the sense ‘grotesque figure’ was an architectural term derived in some way from Gr. µορµώ bugbear.]
† 1. A grotesque figure. a. Applied in scorn to an idol. Obs.
| 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 20954 To worshepe A Marmoset, Wych to helpe..Hath no puissaunce. 1563–83 Foxe A. & M. II. 882/2 Get thee away from me thou naughty person: with thy marmoset of wood. |
| attrib. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 259 A marmouset idole was borrowed fra the Gray Freiris. |
† b. (See
quot. 1706.)
Obs.—0| 1687 Miege Gt. Fr. Dict. ii, Marmoset, a kind of Grotesk, Marmouset. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Marmoset,..an odd kind of Grotesk figure in a Building. 1736 Neve Builder's Dict. |
2. † a. In early use: Any small monkey (
obs.).
b. Now restricted to the tropical American monkeys of the family Hapalidæ (or Mididæ), comprising two genera,
Hapale (the true marmosets) and
Midas (the tamarins).
The Hapalidæ are of the size of a small squirrel, have non-prehensile bushy tails, and (in many species) long eartufts or a mane of whitish hair. They have often been kept as pets, on account of their gentle, playful nature.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. i. (1495) 748 Some beestes seruyth for..mannys myrth: as apys and marmusettes [MS. Bodl. marmesettes] and popyngayes. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xix. 210 Apes, Marmozettes [Roxb. marmusetes, Fr. orig. marmoz], Babewynes, and many other dyverse Bestes. c 1425 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 639/32 Hic zenozephalus, maremusset. 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 109 b, The marmeset hath a very longe tayle. 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utopia ii. vi. (ed. Lupton) 215 A mormosett chaunced vpon the booke..whyche..plucked owte certeyne leaues, and toore them in pieces. 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 191 Mermosites. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. ii. 174 The nimble Marmazet. 1625 Purchas Pilgrims ii. 1771 There are many Monkies or Marmosets, that doe great hurt to the Palme trees. 1679 T. Trapham Disc. Jamaica 115 The Malmaset, as among the Indians of the more Southern Main of America. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Marmoset, a sort of black Monkey, having a shaggy Neck. 1715 tr. Pancirollus' Rerum Mem. I. ii. xvi. 104 An Egyptian Cat, which we call a Marmoset, or Monkey. 1822 Scott Nigel viii, I have seen her..as changeful as a marmozet. 1840 Cuvier's Anim. Kingd. 62 Marmosets (Hapale, as restricted). 1863 Bates Nat. Amazons II. 55 The monkeys belonged to a very pretty and rare species, a kind of marmoset. 1893 [see marikina]. |
| attrib. 1851 P. H. Gosse Nat. in Jamaica 327 note, I have heard the Marmozette Monkey (Jacchus) produce the very same sound. 1876 ‘Ouida’ Winter City vii. 224 The quick marmoset eyes of little Mme. Mila. |
† 3. Applied to a person:
a. to a woman or child, as a term of endearment or playful reproach:
cf. monkey.
Obs.| 1526 Skelton Magnyf. 462 What, wanton, wanton, nowe well ymet! What, Margery Mylke Ducke, mermoset! 1604 Dekker 1st Pt. Honest Wh. vi. C 4 b, Saue thee little Marmoset: how doest thou good pretty roague? 1614 Beaum. & Fl. Wit at sev. Weap. iii. i, Sir Greg. [To his niece.] O dissembling Marmaset! 1754 Richardson Grandison (1781) VII. xliii. 211 How shall I hold the little marmouset, if you devour first one of my hands, then the other? |
b. to a man, as a term of abuse or contempt:
cf. ape. Sometimes (as in
OF.) a favourite, ‘ingle’.
| ? a 1500 Chester Pl. x, I will..mar that misbegotten marmoset. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccclxxxvii. 661 Alwayes the Erle hath these marmosettes about him, as Gylbert Mahewe and his bretherne. a 1529 Skelton Agst. Garnesche ii. 39 Thow mantycore, ye marmoset, garnyshte like a Greke. a 1585 Polwart Flyting w. Montgomerie 795 Beld bisset! marmissed! lansprezed to the lownes! 1615 R. Brathwait Strappado (1878) 48 See, see her cerus cheeke, made to delight Her apple-squire, or wanton Marmosite. 1825 Scott Talism. xxiv, A king's son..is at least a match for this marmozet of a Marquis. |
Hence
† marmoˈsetical a., characteristic of a marmoset; apishly foolish.
| 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Wit & Mirth Wks. ii. 187/2 A Mercers seruant espying his marmositicall Apishnesse. |