noun
Refers to monkeys, especially gibbons. A somewhat literary or formal term; in everyday speech 猿 (さる) is more common.
猿猴が木から木へと飛び移る。
The gibbon leaps from tree to tree.
noun
puppeteer's hand
In traditional puppet theatre (人形浄瑠璃), the visible hand of the puppeteer manipulating the puppet. A specialized term.
See also: 人形浄瑠璃
人形浄瑠璃では、猿猴と呼ばれる手遣いが人形を操る。
In ningyō jōruri, the puppeteer's hand, called enkō, manipulates the puppet.
noun
Alternate name for the mythical water creature 河童 (kappa). Rare and literary.
See also: 河童
古い文献では、河童のことを猿猴と記す例がある。
In old documents, there are examples where kappa is written as 猿猴.
noun
Archaic euphemism for menstrual period. Not used in modern Japanese.
江戸時代の文献に、月経を猿猴と婉曲に表現した例が見られる。
In Edo-period texts, there are instances where menstruation is euphemistically referred to as enkō.
The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 猿 (monkey) and 猴 (monkey) combine to mean monkey, especially gibbon. The extended meanings likely arose from metaphorical or euphemistic usage.