cynomolgus

English

A cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κύων (kúōn, “dog”) + ἀμέλγω (amélgō, “to milk”). Apparently from a word coined by Aristophanes of Byzantium for a race of humans with long hair and beards who hunted with dogs and, according to Aristophanes, milked them. (See Crab-eating macaque on Wikipedia.Wikipedia ).

Noun

cynomolgus (plural cynomolguses)

1. (often attributive) A long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), native to Asia, that feeds on shellfish.
   • 1953, “Atti del VI Congresso Internazionale di Microbiologia”, in Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Microbiology‎^[1], volume 3, page 157:

     […] but no «mouse-virulent» virus could be recovered on passage in other mice although titration in cynomolgus renal epithelial cells showed that virus replication had occurred.

   • 1978, B. J. Catley, 5: Glycoproteins, Glycopeptides, and Animal Polysaccharides, J. S. Brimacombe (editor), Carbohydrate Chemistry, Volume 10, The Chemical Society, page 305,

     Similarities also exist between the antigenic properties of the β₁-glycoproteins obtained from chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, cynomolguses, and baboons.

   • 2019, Kira Jane Buxton, Hollow Kingdom, Hachette UK (Headline Publishing Group), unnumbered page,

     MoFos^[humans] never gave up on the belief that they could land on the moon, and, by thunder, they did it! (After sensibly sending up a few test subjects including cats, tortoises, mice, mealworms, a rabbit, chimpanzees, rhesus macaques, squirrel monkeys, cynomolguses and pig-tailed monkeys, a boatload of dogs, and some fruit flies.

Usage notes

Commonly used in laboratory contexts.

Synonyms

• (Macaca fascicularis): cynomolgus monkey, crab-eating macaque

Translations

Macaca fascicularis — see crab-eating macaque

Further reading

• Crab-eating macaque on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Macaca fascicularis on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Macaca fascicularis on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons