Word
donkey
Phoneticsdon·key
US/ˈdɑŋki/
UK/dˈɒŋki/
Definitions
01the animal
n. a grey or brown animal with long ears that is related to the horse.
n. a domesticated hoofed mammal of the horse family, typically smaller than a horse and possessing long ears and a tufted tail.
“The farmer used a donkey to carry heavy bags of grain up the hill.”
“In many rural regions, the donkey remains an essential pack animal due to its remarkable endurance and ability to navigate rocky terrain.”
Synonyms
02a stubborn person
n. someone who is very stubborn and refuses to change their mind.
n. a person characterized by obstinate or headstrong behavior.
“Stop being such a donkey and just listen to my advice.”
“His reputation as a donkey was well-earned, as he refused to compromise even when presented with overwhelming evidence against his position.”
Informal
Teaching tip
Often used as a mild insult to describe someone who is being difficult on purpose.
Synonyms
03a bad poker player
n. a player who makes bad decisions or plays poorly in a game of poker.
n. a derogatory term for an unskilled or weak poker player who plays too many hands or makes irrational bets.
“The professional player won easily because he was playing against a donkey.”
“The veteran gambler sat patiently at the table, waiting for the donkey to make a predictable mistake and lose his entire stack of chips.”
Slang
Teaching tip
Commonly used in online gambling communities; can be shortened to 'donk'.
Synonyms
04an auxiliary engine
n. a small extra engine used on a ship or for heavy work.
n. a small auxiliary engine used for secondary purposes such as pumping water or powering winches on a vessel.
“The crew started the donkey to help lift the heavy cargo onto the deck.”
“Before the main boilers were fully pressurized, the engineers relied on the donkey engine to provide power for the ship's essential auxiliary systems.”
Technical
Usage
Often appears in the compound 'donkey engine'.
Teaching tip
This is a specialized term mostly found in historical maritime or industrial contexts.
Synonyms
Etymology
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).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
donkey work — Work that is difficult, boring, and routine.
donkey's ears — A long time, years and years.
donkey's years — A long time, years and years.
heavy as a dead donkey — Very heavy.
suck donkey balls — To be terrible, of extremely poor quality.
talk the hind leg off a donkey — To talk a lot.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/donkey