DONKEY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does donkey mean? 

• DONKEY (noun)
  The noun DONKEY has 2 senses:

1. the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

2. domestic beast of burden descended from the African wild ass; patient but stubborn

  Familiarity information: DONKEY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DONKEY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("donkey" is a kind of...):

allegory; emblem (a visible symbol representing an abstract idea)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Domestic beast of burden descended from the African wild ass; patient but stubborn

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

domestic ass; donkey; Equus asinus

Hypernyms ("donkey" is a kind of...):

ass (hardy and sure-footed animal smaller and with longer ears than the horse)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "donkey"):

burro (small donkey used as a pack animal)

moke (British informal for donkey)

Holonyms ("donkey" is a member of...):

Equus; genus Equus (type genus of the Equidae: only surviving genus of the family Equidae)

 Context examples 

A cold feeling came over me from head to foot, and I know it was a donkey!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I wish we had a donkey.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

A family of hoofed mammals consisting of HORSES, asses, donkeys, and zebras.

(Equidae, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

"Tell me about Ellen Tree. Is it a donkey?" asked Grace curiously.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The sheep and lambs are bleating in the fields away behind me, and there is a clatter of a donkey's hoofs up the paved road below.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

B mallei is found in contaminated soil, causes Glanders disease in horses, mules, donkeys, and humans, and has been developed and used as a biological weapon by the Germans, Russians and Japanese.

(Burkholderia mallei, NCI Thesaurus)

The donkey laid himself down upon a heap of straw in the yard, the dog stretched himself upon a mat behind the door, the cat rolled herself up on the hearth before the warm ashes, and the cock perched upon a beam on the top of the house; and, as they were all rather tired with their journey, they soon fell asleep.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

If ever there was a donkey trespassing on my green, said my aunt, with emphasis, there was one this afternoon at four o'clock.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I really must talk to him about purchasing a donkey.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

In the hope of pleasing everyone, she took everyone's advice, and like the old man and his donkey in the fable suited nobody.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)