Word
coney
US/ˈkoʊni/
UK/kənˈaɪ/
Definition
n. an old word for a rabbit. You might see this in history books or when reading about traditional British food like rabbit pie.
n. a rabbit, especially the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Historically used to distinguish adult rabbits from their young, though now largely archaic or restricted to culinary and legal contexts.
Examples
“The hunter caught a coney for the evening meal.”
“In medieval England, the coney was a valuable source of both meat and fur for the local population.”
“The tapestry depicts a pastoral scene where a coney sits alert near its burrow, unaware of the hounds approaching from the forest edge.”
Examples
simple
“The hunter caught a coney for the evening meal.”
contextual
“In medieval England, the coney was a valuable source of both meat and fur for the local population.”
complex
“The tapestry depicts a pastoral scene where a coney sits alert near its burrow, unaware of the hounds approaching from the forest edge.”
Usage
Now largely archaic in general speech; primarily survives in British place names, legal statutes, or historical literature.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/coney