donkey
/ˈdɒŋki
/noun (plural donkeys)
1A domesticated hoofed mammal of the horse family with long ears and a braying call, used as a beast of burden; an ass.
- Equus asinus, family Equidae, descended from the wild ass of Africa.
- Hybrids such as the mule, a cross between a donkey and a horse, are sterile.
- The strange script included drawings of camels, horses, donkeys and ibex.
Synonyms
ass;
jackass, jenny;
mule, hinny;
Spanish burro
British informal moke, neddy
Scottish dated cuddy
2 informal A stupid or inept person.We've called him and his ilk everything from thickheaded bozos, to donkeys and pious do-gooders....
- I had seven names in all: imbecile, donkey, flax-head, dope, glump, ninny, and fool.
3 informal An engine.
4 (also donkey stool) A low stool on which an artist sits astride, especially in an art school.
5 [mass noun] A children’s card game involving exchanging cards.
Phrases
donkey deep
donkey's years
Origin
Late 18th century (originally pronounced to rhyme with monkey): perhaps from dun1, or from the given name Duncan.
Before the late 18th century a donkey was an ass. At first the word donkey was used only in slang and dialect, and its origin is lost. Early references indicate that it rhymed with monkey, and this has prompted some to suggest that it comes from the colour dun (Old English) or from the man's name Duncan. The expression for donkey's years, ‘for a very long time’, is a pun referring to the length of a donkey's ears and playing on an old pronunciation of ears which was the same as that of years. The British expression yonks, with the same meaning, may derive from it. See also easel