donkey
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donkey
- /ˈdɒŋ.ki/ UK
- /ˈdɑŋ.ki/ US
Rhymes with -ɒŋki
Where it comes from
The origin is uncertain. Originally a slang term from the late eighteenth century. Perhaps from Middle English *donekie (“a miniature dun horse”), a double diminutive of Middle English don, dun, dunne (a name for a dun horse), equivalent to modern English dun (“brownish grey colour”) + -ock (diminutive suffix) + -ie (diminutive suffix), or similarly formed from the given name Duncan. Compare Middle English donning (“a dun horse”), English dunnock. Became more common than the original term ass due to the latter's homophony and partial merger with arse (compare similar development between coney and rabbit).
noun donkeys · donkies · donky
-
A domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar to a horse.
Lost last Saturday between twenty and thirty shillings they that have found it please to leave it heare there is five shillings reward by Wm. Roberts that goeth with a Donkey with many thanks
Similar: Jerusalem pony
- A stubborn person.
-
A fool.
Similar: alcatote, asshat, arsehole, asshole, bayard, berk, birdbrain, blither, bobchin, bonehead, bozo, buffoon
-
A small auxiliary engine.
Similar: donkey engine
- A box or chest, especially a toolbox.
- A bad poker player.
- A sailor's storage chest. The chest may be found among those who stick to the sailing vessels, but for the steamer, the donkey died its natural death when the Suez Canal—responsible for many changes at sea—became an accomplished fact.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: domestic ass, equus asinus, mule, ass, burro, moke, jackass, barn, tide, butter, die, phone, skull, fool, stupid, music
Translations
Every language
noun a domestic animal — see also ass
| Español | asno, burro, jumento |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 당나귀 dangnagwi, 나귀 nagwi |
| 日本語 | 驢馬 roba, ロバ roba |
| 中文 | 驢 /驴 lǘ, 驢子 /驴子 lǘzi |
| हिन्दी | गधा gadhā, हिमार himār |
| Kiswahili | punda |
| Português | asno, jerico, jegue, jumento, burro |
| Français | âne |
| Deutsch | Esel, Grauchen, Grautier |
| Italiano | asino, somaro, buricco, ciuco |
| Ελληνικά | γάιδαρος gáidaros, γαϊδούρα gaïdoúra, γαϊδούρι gaïdoúri, όνος ónos |
| Română | măgar, asin |
| Русский | осёл osjól, осли́ца oslíca, иша́к išák |
| Tiếng Việt | lừa |
| العربية | حِمَار ḥimār |
| עברית | חֲמוֹר khamór, אָתוֹן atón |
noun a stubborn person
| Español | burro |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | punda |
| Português | jumento, jumenta, asno, jegue, burro |
| Français | âne |
| Deutsch | Esel |
| Ελληνικά | γάιδαρος gáidaros, μουλάρι moulári |
| Русский | осёл osjól |
noun a fool
| Español | burro |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | गधा gadhā |
| Kiswahili | punda |
| Português | jumento, jumenta, asno, jegue, burro |
| Français | âne |
| Deutsch | Esel |
| Italiano | asino |
| Ελληνικά | γάιδαρος gáidaros, γαϊδούρι gaïdoúri |
| Русский | осёл osjól |
| العربية | حِمَار ḥimār |
| עברית | חֲמוֹר khamór |
noun a small auxiliary engine
| Español | locomotora pequeña, motor auxiliar |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | punda |
| Italiano | muletto |
Talk about this word "donkey." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/donkey. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. donkey. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/donkey "donkey." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/donkey.Cite this
@misc{donkey_2026,
title = {donkey},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/donkey},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
