covey

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: Covey

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old French covee (Modern French couvée), from Latin cubō (lie).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • enPR: kŭvʹē, IPA(key): /ˈkʌvi/
    • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌvi

Noun[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

covey (plural covies or coveys)

  1. A group of 8–12 (or more) quail.
    • 1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 55:
      “Like when you quail huntinʼ and itʼs getting dark and you can hear the boss bird whistlinʼ tryinʼ to get the covey together again.”
    Coordinate terms: flock, gaggle, host
  2. A brood of partridges, grouse, etc.
  3. A party or group (of persons or things).
    • 1906, O. Henry, The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein:
      The store is on a corner about which coveys of ragged-plumed, hilarious children play and become candidates for the cough drops and soothing syrups that wait for them inside.
    • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p. 736
      A covey of grey soldiers clanked down the platform at the double with their equipment and embarked, but in absolute silence, which seemed to them very singular.
Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

covey (third-person singular simple present coveys, present participle coveying, simple past and past participle coveyed)

  1. (intransitive) To brood; to incubate.
References[edit]
  • 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, Oxford University Press, →ISBN

Etymology 2[edit]

cove +‎ -y

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

covey (plural coveys)

  1. (Britain, slang, dated) A man.
    • 1846, Justin Jones, The prince and the queen; or, Scenes in high life:
      'Pooh!' said he, 'you are as easily wounded as an unfledged dove — don't mind what an old covey like me says — I understand it all.'
    • 1850, Waldo Howard, The mistake of a life-time, or, The robber of the Rhine, page 140:
      There vas an old covey as lived in Wapping, at the time I'm telling you of, who vas connected vith us by ties of common interest.
    • 1851, William Thomas Moncrieff, Selections from the dramatic works of William T. Moncrieff:
      I don't know what would become of these here young chaps, if it wasn't for such careful old coveys as we are—
Synonyms[edit]
Translations[edit]
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams[edit]