Definition of "monkies"
monkies
noun
Quotations
Tuball. One of them ſhewed me a ring that hee had of your daughter for a Monkey. / Shy[lock]. Out vpon her, thou tortur'ſt me Tuball, it was my Turkies, I had it of Leah when I was a Batchellor: I would not haue giuen it for a wilderneſſe of Monkies.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, [Act III, scene i]
This Creature never rambles very far: and being taken young, will become as tame as a Dog; and be as roguiſh as a Monkey. The Monkies that are in theſe Parts are the uglieſt I ever ſaw.
1699, William Dampier, “The Author’s second Voyage to the Bay of Campeachy. His arrival at the Isle of Trist, and settling with the Logwood-Cutters. […]”, in Voyages and Descriptions. Vol. II. […], London: […] James Knapton, […], part II (Mr. Dampier’s Voyages to the Bay of Campeachy), page 59
[…] every one knows how greatly the monkey exceeds all other brutes in its vindictive malice. There appears, in some measure, an analogy even betwixt the vices (if we may so call them) of the monkies, and the disgusting brutality too often observable in the vicious and degraded part of mankind. The animals of the monkey tribe differ very essentially from each other in their general manners and habits of life. The oran otan is susceptible of more considerable attainments than any of the others. The short muzzled monkies, with long tails, such as the greater part of the guenons, sapajous, and sagoins, are for the most part exceedingly tractable, and receive a certain degree of instruction without much difficulty.
1809, Rev. Mr. Bingley, “On the Stratagems of Apes and Monkies, in a wild State, and in Captivity”, in The Annual Register, or a View of the History, Politics, and Literature, for the Year 1807, London: […] W. Otridge and Son; Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme; […], page 848