donkeydon‧key /ˈdɒŋki $ ˈdɑːŋki/ ●○○ noun 
Word Origin
[countable] a grey or brown animal like a horse, but smaller and with long ears2donkey’s years British English spoken a very long timefor donkey’s years
I’ve had this jacket for donkey’s years.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINdonkey
ExamplesOrigin:
1700-1800 Perhaps from dun (=gray-brown) + -key (as in monkey)EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- Police in Ballymoney, Co Antrim, yesterday confirmed the donkey was stolen.
- Shelter is essential - especially for donkeys.
- The donkey decided to go to Bremen, a town where everyone played music.
- The rugged terrain is inhabited by deer, antelopes and, locals say, wild donkeys.
- The students dissected donkeys rather than horses and even Coleman used donkey material to demonstrate horse muscles.
- When he made his rounds on a light-gray donkey, people bowed their heads and dared not look at his face.
Longman Language Activatorsomeone who talks a lot or too much► talkative
Collocations someone who is talkative talks a lot: · The wine was making her more relaxed and talkative.· Somehow I always end up alone in a room with my talkative aunt.
► chatty liking to talk a lot in a friendly way: · Nobles is a chatty, energetic 55-year-old.· The nurses at the hospital were pleasant and chatty, and they made me feel less nervous.
► chatterbox informal someone, especially a child, who talks a lot in a friendly way: · Cathy's a real chatterbox - she's very friendly, but all that talking can wear you out.
► can talk the hind leg off a donkey British /talks a blue streak American informal to talk a lot without stopping: · Once old Mulrooney got started there was no stopping him - that man could talk the hind leg off a donkey.· Annie had had too much to drink and was talking a blue streak.
► gossip someone who likes talking about other people's private lives and behaviour: · Don't tell him anything private - he's a terrible gossip.· The town gossips had been spreading rumours about Bruce for months.
unpleasant or boring work► grind things that you have to do every day, especially as part of your job, which are boring and make you feel tired: grind of: · Work feels like such a grind lately.· The relentless grind of hard labour and ill-health had taken its toll on Booth. the daily grind: · The daily grind of meetings and tutorials went on.hard grind British: · The Prime Minister is pictured taking a break from the hard grind of political life.
► be a slog British use this to say that work is difficult, boring, and tiring: · The journey across the valley to the farm is going to be a slog.hard/long slog: · It's a hard slog isn't it? I wish we'd got further yesterday.· Cutting all the wood before nightfall was a long, hard slog.
► donkey work British /grunt work American informal work that is boring or takes a lot of time and effort, but that has to be done as part of a job or larger piece of work: · I was doing grunt work for the secretary in the department, twenty hours a week.· The real donkey work was actually done by those guys.
► drudgery work that is hard and unpleasant because it is very boring, takes a long time to do, and often involves a lot of physical effort: · Technological advances have taken much of the drudgery out of the assembly line and car plant.· What seemed a promising job turned into months of boredom and drudgery.the drudgery of something: · The data management system has eliminated much of the drudgery of filing.· Calculators were introduced to relieve students of the drudgery of pencil-and-paper number-crunching.
► toil formal difficult and boring work that takes a long time: · Here began their arduous toil to force a living from the land.· man's desire for freedom from physical toil
WORD SETS► Animalsaardvark, nounadder, nounAfghan, nounalley cat, nounalligator, nounalpaca, nounAlsatian, nounamphibian, nounamphibious, adjectiveangora, nounanimal, nounanteater, nounantelope, nounanthropoid, adjectiveantler, nounape, nounappaloosa, nounarachnid, nounarmadillo, nounasp, nounass, nounbaa, verbbaboon, nounbaby, nounbadger, nounbantam, nounbark, verbbark, nounbarnacle, nounbasset, nounbat, nounbay, nounbay, verbbay, adjectivebeagle, nounbear, nounbeast, nounbeast of burden, nounbeaver, nounbellow, verbbellow, nounbelly, nounbig cat, nounbig game, nounbighorn sheep, nounbilly goat, nounbiped, nounbison, nounbitch, nounbivalve, nounbleat, verbbloodhound, nounbloodstream, nounblow-hole, nounboa, nounboar, nounbobcat, nounbovine, adjectivebow-wow, nounboxer, nounbrainwave, nounbrindled, adjectivebristle, verbbronc, nounbronco, nounbrontosaurus, nounbrush, nounbuck, nounbuffalo, nounbull, nounbulldog, nounbullfrog, nounbullock, nounbull terrier, nounburro, nounburrow, nouncalf, nouncall, nouncalve, verbcamel, nouncanine, adjectivecanine, nouncarapace, nouncarcass, nouncaribou, nouncarnivore, nouncarthorse, nouncat, nouncattle, nouncaudal, adjectivecayman, nouncetacean, nounchameleon, nounchamois, nouncheetah, nounchestnut, nounchickadee, nounchicken, nounchihuahua, nounchimpanzee, nounchinchilla, nounchipmunk, nounchow, nounclaw, nouncloven hoof, nouncoat, nouncob, nouncobra, nouncocker spaniel, nouncold-blooded, adjectivecollie, nouncolouring, nouncolt, nouncomb, nounconnective tissue, nouncony, nouncoon, nouncopperhead, nouncorgi, nouncougar, nouncourtship, nouncow, nouncoyote, nouncoypu, nouncrest, nouncrocodile, nouncrop, verbcrustacean, nouncry, nouncub, nouncur, noundachshund, nounDalmatian, noundeer, nounden, noundentine, noundingo, noundinosaur, noundoe, noundog, noundolphin, noundomesticate, verbdonkey, noundormouse, noundorsal, adjectivedromedary, nounduckbilled platypus, nounearthworm, nounelephant, nounelk, nounentrails, nounermine, nounewe, nounexcreta, nounexcretion, nounfallopian tube, nounfallow deer, nounfang, nounfauna, nounfawn, nounfeed, nounfeeler, nounfeline, adjectivefeline, nounfemale, adjectivefemale, nounferal, adjectiveferret, nounfetlock, nounfieldmouse, nounfilly, nounfin, nounfleece, nounflipper, nounflying fox, nounfoal, nounfoal, verbfoetus, nounforefoot, nounforeleg, nounfox, nounfoxhound, nounfox terrier, nounFriesian, nounfrog, nounfrogspawn, nounfruit bat, nounfur, nounfurry, adjectivegarter snake, noungazelle, noungecko, noungeese, gelding, noungerbil, nounGerman shepherd, noungestation, noungiant panda, noungibbon, noungiraffe, noungnu, noungoat, noungolden retriever, noungopher, noungorilla, noungregarious, adjectivegreyhound, noungroundhog, nounground squirrel, noungrunt, verbguinea pig, nounhack, nounhackles, nounhairless, adjectivehamster, nounhare, nounhart, nounhaunch, nounhedgehog, nounheifer, nounhen, nounherbivore, nounherd, nounhermit crab, nounhibernate, verbhind, adjectivehind, nounhindquarters, nounhippo, nounhippopotamus, nounhock, nounhog, nounhoof, nounhorned, adjectivehorse, nounhound, nounhowl, verbhump, nounhusky, nounhyaena, nounhybrid, nounhyena, nounibex, nouniguana, nounimpala, nouninbred, adjectiveinbreeding, nouninsectivore, nouninterbreed, verbinvertebrate, nounjackal, nounjackrabbit, nounjaguar, nounjellyfish, nounJersey, nounkangaroo, nounkid, nounkoala, nounkookaburra, nounLabrador, nounlair, nounlamb, nounlemming, nounleopard, nounlion, nounlioness, nounlitter, nounlitter, verblizard, nounllama, nounlonghorn, nounlugworm, nounlynx, nounmale, nounmamba, nounmammal, nounmammary, adjectivemammoth, nounmandible, nounmandrill, nounmane, nounman-eater, nounmare, nounmarmoset, nounmarsupial, nounmarten, nounmastitis, nounmate, nounmate, verbmating, nounmaw, nounmenagerie, nounmew, verbmiaow, verbmice, nounmigrant, nounmilk, verbmimic, verbmimic, nounmink, nounmole, nounmollusc, nounmongoose, nounmongrel, nounmonkey, nounmoo, verbmoose, nounmoult, verbmountain goat, nounmountain lion, nounmouse, nounmule, nounmuskrat, nounmussel, nounmustang, nounmutt, nounmuzzle, nounnag, nounnanny goat, nounnative, adjectivenative, nounnest, nounnewt, nounnocturnal, adjectiveocelot, nounoctopus, nounoffspring, nounoink, interjectionokapi, nounOld English sheepdog, nounomnivore, nounomnivorous, adjectiveopossum, nounorangutang, nounotter, nounox, nounpachyderm, nounpack, nounpad, nounpair, nounpanda, nounpanther, nounparasite, nounparasitic, adjectivepaw, nounpaw, verbpeccary, nounpedigree, adjectivepeke, nounPekinese, nounpelt, nounPersian cat, nounpest, nounpheasant, nounpiebald, adjectivepied, adjectivepig, nounpiggy, nounpiglet, nounpincer, nounpine marten, nounpinto, nounpit bull terrier, nounpit pony, nounplankton, nounplate, nounplatypus, nounpointer, nounpolar bear, nounpolecat, nounpolyp, nounpony, nounpooch, nounpoodle, nounporcupine, nounporker, nounporpoise, nounPortuguese man-of-war, nounpossum, nounpouch, nounprairie dog, nounprance, verbpredation, nounpredator, nounpredatory, adjectiveprehensile, adjectiveprey, nounprickle, nounpride, nounprimate, nounproboscis, nounprocreate, verbprowl, verbpterodactyl, nounpuffin, nounpug, nounpullet, nounpuma, nounpup, nounpurebred, adjectivepurr, verbpussy, nounpython, nounquack, verbquadruped, nounquill, nounrabbit, nounrabbit warren, nounrabid, adjectiveraccoon, nounracoon, nounram, nounrat, nounrattler, nounrattlesnake, nounravening, adjectivereindeer, nounreptile, nounretract, verbretriever, nounrhesus monkey, nounrhino, nounrhinoceros, nounroan, nounrodent, nounroe deer, nounrottweiler, nounruminant, nounruminate, verbrump, nounrunt, nounrut, nounsable, nounsac, nounsalamander, nounsausage dog, nounscavenge, verbschool, nounscorpion, nounseal, nounsea lion, nounseashell, nounsea urchin, nounsemen, nounserpent, nounsetter, nounsex, verbshed, verbsheep, nounsheepdog, nounShetland pony, nounshire horse, nounshrew, nounshrimp, nounSiamese cat, nounsilkworm, nounsimian, adjectivesire, nounskin, nounskunk, nounsloth, nounslug, nounsnail, nounsnake, nounsnakebite, nounsnarl, verbsniffer dog, nounsnout, nounsocial, adjectivesow, nounspaniel, nounspawn, verbspawn, nounsperm whale, nounsponge, nounspoor, nounspore, nounspringbok, nounsquid, nounsquirrel, nounstag, nounstallion, nounstarfish, nounSt Bernard, nounsteed, nounsteer, nounsting, nounstinger, nounstoat, nounstomach, nounstray, adjectivestray, nounstud, nounsucker, nounsuckle, verbsuckling, nounswine, nountadpole, nountail, nountame, adjectivetame, verbtapeworm, nountapir, nounteat, nountentacle, nounterrapin, nounterrier, nounterritorial, adjectiveterritory, nountiger, nountigress, nountoad, nountom, nountomcat, nountooth, nountortoise, nountortoiseshell, nountrumpet, verbtrunk, nountufted, adjectiveturtle, nountusk, nountyrannosaurus, nounudder, nounuterus, nounvampire bat, nounvent, nounvermin, nounvertebrate, nounvicuña, nounviper, nounvivarium, nounvixen, nounvole, nounwag, verbwallaby, nounwallow, verbwalrus, nounwarm-blooded, adjectivewarren, nounwarthog, nounwater buffalo, nounwater rat, nounwater vole, nounweasel, nounweevil, nounwhale, nounwhelk, nounwhelp, nounwhelp, verbwhinny, verbwhippet, nounwhisker, nounwild boar, nounwildcat, nounwildebeest, nounwildfowl, nounwinkle, nounwithers, nounwolf, nounwolfhound, nounwombat, nounwool, nounyak, nounyap, verbyap, nounyearling, nounyelp, nounYorkshire terrier, nounyoung, nounzebra, nounzoologist, nounzoology, nounzygote, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► jacket
Phrases· The man was wearing a donkey jacket and overalls.· The man in the donkey jacket began to walk towards the back door.
► work· Some analysts express concern that the new systems will be less secure and incapable of doing donkey work like batch processing.· Donkeys have no objection to donkey work, but they can not stand being taken for racehorses or tractors.· This has its own 80188 processor on-board, so the cache relieves the main processor of some of the donkey work.· Hence the donkey work is taken out of learning how to set everything up.· One of the joys of the Atlas is the availability of mules to do the donkey work of load carrying.
VERB► ride· Here are old buses with wooden bench seats, and farmers riding donkeys.· They did not want to wait until the Messiah came riding on his donkey.· In some parts of the world you may still see the male peasant riding his donkey as his wife walks alongside.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► donkey’s years
1- It's donkey's years since I went to the movies.
- She worked in the shop for donkey's years, although the pay was awful.
- We used to play golf together, but that was donkey's years ago.
[countable] a grey or brown animal like a horse, but smaller and with long ears2donkey’s years British English spoken a very long timefor donkey’s years I’ve had this jacket for donkey’s years.