Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

grease monkey

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.56 in modern English

Syllables
grease -mon-key
IPA
22
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.

Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

First use appears c. 1910 in a translated work. See cite below. May have originated during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, when children were used to grease the large rotating axles which were used to transfer power from one centralized steam engine to all of the machines on the factory floor. These children, covered in grease and crawling in the tight spaces in the ceilings, were equated with monkeys.

Usage

Inflected Forms

grease monkeys (plural)

Phrases

powder monkey rigging monkey code monkey oil trash shade tree mechanic

Frequently Paired Words

greaser powder monkey rigging monkey code monkey oil trash shade tree mechanic

Synonyms

automobile mechanic auto-mechanic car-mechanic mechanic

Questions

What does grease monkey mean?
A mechanic, often with the specific connotation of an automobile mechanic.
Where does grease monkey come from?
First use appears c. 1910 in a translated work. See cite below. May have originated during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, when children were used to grease the large rotating axles which were used to transfer power from one centralized steam engine to all of the machines on the factory floor. These children, covered in grease and crawling in the tight spaces in the ceilings, were equated with monkeys.

How to pronounce grease monkey

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “grease monkey”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “grease monkey”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “grease monkey” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.