titi
Noun 1. A small South American monkey of the genus Callicebus or Plecturocebus, characterized by long, soft fur and a long, non-prehensile tail. 2. A deciduous shrub or small tree of eastern North America (Cyrilla racemiflora), also called the swamp titi or leatherwood, known for its fragrant white flowers and sour-tasting leaves. 3. A tree (Cliftonia monophylla) found in coastal areas of the southeastern United States, also called the buckwheat tree, with glossy leaves and fragrant white flowers.
- The researcher observed a family of titis moving quietly through the canopy.
- The titi, or swamp cyrilla, blooms with delicate white sprays in the summer.
- The coastal forest is home to several titi trees.
- The term is often qualified by a geographic or descriptive modifier to specify the type, as the definitions above are for distinct biological families (primates vs. plants). For example: "the black-fronted titi monkey" or "the black titi tree".
- Titi monkey: The full term often used to specify the primate.
- Swamp titi: A common name for .
- Buckwheat tree: A common name for .
- For the monkey: Titi monkey (specific), New World monkey (general category).
- For the trees: Swamp cyrilla, leatherwood (for ); buckwheat tree, ironwood (for ).
This word is a homonym, referring to two completely different types of organisms. Context is essential for understanding. 1. Zoological Meaning: Refers to a primate from South America. 2. Botanical Meaning: Refers to either of two flowering plant species native to the southeastern United States. The two plants are not closely related but share a common regional name.
- small South American monkeys with long beautiful fur and long nonprehensile tail
- deciduous shrubby tree of eastern North America having deeply fissured bark and sprays of small fragrant white flowers and sour-tasting leaves
- tree of low-lying coastal areas of southeastern United States having glossy leaves and racemes of fragrant white flowers