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covey

noun

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L318782 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈkəʊvi/ / /ˈkoʊvi/ / /ˈkʌvi/

name

Etymology: Reduced form of McCovey.

  1. A surname from Irish.

noun

Etymology: From cove + -y (diminutive suffix). Cove is derived from Romani kodo (“this one; him”) or kova (“that person”).

  1. A male person, a man; a chap, a chappie.

    I don't know what would become of these here young chaps, if it wasn't for such careful old coveys as we are— […]

    Hullo! my covey, what's the row?

verb

Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English covei, covey (“brood of partridges, covey; volley of shot; kind of gun”) [and other forms], from Old French covée (“brood (of chickens), clutch”) (modern French couvée), a noun use of the feminine past participle of cover (“to brood (an egg)”) (modern French couver), from Latin cubāre, the present active infinitive of cubō (“to lie down, recline; to incubate; to be broody”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- (“to lie down”). The verb is derived from the noun. Cognates French couvée (“brood (of chickens), clutch”), couver (“to brood (an egg)”) Italian covata (“brood, clutch, covey, hatch”), covare (“to brood or incubate (an egg)”)

  1. To gather into a group.

    Our fortunes and our ſelves, are things ſo cloſely linked, that vve knovv not vvhich is the cauſe of the love that vve finde, vvhen theſe tvvo ſhall part, vve may then diſcover to vvhich of them affection vvill make vvinge; vvhen they are covied together vve knovv not vvhich is in purſuit; vvhen they riſe and breake, vve ſhall then ſee vvhich is aimed at.

    O'er many a vvinding dale and painful ſteep, / Th' abodes of coveyed grouſe and timid ſheep, / My ſavage journey, curious, I purſue, / Till fam'd Breadalbaine opens on my view.— […]