howler

[ hou-ler ]

noun

1. a person, animal, or thing that howls.
2. Also called howler monkey. any large, prehensile-tailed tropical American monkey of the genus Alouatta, the males of which make a howling howling noise: some species are endangered.
3. a mistake, especially an embarrassing one in speech or writing, that evokes laughter; a very humorous mistake or a funny blunder.
4. Informal. something that makes a piercing and often prolonged noise, as an alarm.

howler

/ ˈhaʊlə /

noun

1. Also calledhowler monkey any large New World monkey of the genus Alouatta, inhabiting tropical forests in South America and having a loud howling cry
2. informal.
   a glaring mistake
3. (formerly) a device that produces a loud tone in a telephone receiver to attract attention when the receiver is incorrectly replaced
4. a person or thing that howls

Word History and Origins

Origin of howler¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; howl + -er ¹

Example Sentences

As the researchers note, arboreal howlers are extremely slow-moving primates who are very careful about the way they exert their energy.

From Salon

Mexico has also been baking under a heat wave so intense that howler monkeys have literally been dropping dead from the trees.

From Seattle Times

Moreover, with heat, fires, and deforestation hitting the trees where the howler monkeys live, it was unclear whether even releasing them could ensure their survival.

From Seattle Times

Mexico’s heatwave is so dire, howler monkeys are falling dead out of trees.

From Seattle Times

For people in the steamy, swampy, jungle-covered state of Tabasco, the howler monkey is a cherished, emblematic species; local people say the monkeys tell them the time of day, by howling at dawn and dusk.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• blunder
• failure
• fault
• flaw
• glitch
• inaccuracy
• lapse
• miscalculation
• miscue
• misdeed
• mismanagement
• misstep
• misunderstanding
• offense
• omission
• sin
• transgression
• wrongdoing