covey
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: kŭvʹē
ipa: /ˈkʌvi/
rhymes: -ʌvi
Forms: form: covies
form: coveys
form: covie
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)”)
Senses: examples: text: But, loa, with a ſuddeyn fluſhing thee galligut Harpeys / From mountayns flitter, with gaggling whirlerye flapping / Their wings: […] This coouie rauenouſe, and ſwift with a deſperat onſet, / They gripte in tallants the meat, and foorth ſpourged a ſtincking / Foule carrayne fauoure: […]
ref: [1582, Virgil, “The Third Booke of Virgil His Aeneis”, in Richard Stanyhurst, transl., The First Foure Bookes of Virgils Æneis, […], London: […] Henrie Bynneman […], published 1583, →OCLC; republished as The First Four Books of the Æneid of Virgil, […], Edinburgh: [Edinburgh Printing Company], 1836, →OCLC, pages 70–71:
text: [S]o leacherous they [female partridges] are, that ſetting aſide the naturall affection and love to their young covie, vvhen they are broodie, […] yet if they hear once the Foulers chanterell comming tovvard the male, and that he doth call, preſently they vvill leave the neſt and ſuffer the egs to chill, and for very jealouſie crie again and call back the males, and offer themſelves to be troden, for feare they vvould goe to others. […] And all this doth ſhe to amuſe the Fouler after her, untill ſhe have trained him a contrarie vvay from the covey. Novv by that time that ſhee is paſt that feare, and freed of the motherly care ſhe had of her young ones, than vvill ſhee get into the furrovv of ſome land, lie along her backe, catch a clot of earth up vvith her feet, and therevvith hide her vvhole bodie, and ſo have both her ſelfe and her couvey.
ref: 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book X.] The Industrie and Wit of Birds in Building Their Nests. Of the Swallow, the Argatilis, Cinnamologi, and Partridges.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, pages 289–290:
text: [A]s for the partridges vvhen they be laid for by the fovvler, together vvith their covin of young birds, they ſuffer them to flie avvay as vvell as they can, and make ſhift to ſave themſelves, but the old rovvens full ſubtilly ſeeme to vvait the comming of the ſaid hunters, abiding untill they approch neere unto them, and by keeping about their feet, traine them ſtill avvay after them, ready ever as it vvere to be caught; […] thus they play mock-holiday vvith the fovvlers, and yet vvith ſome danger to themſelves for the ſafetie of their young, untill they have trained them a great vvay off, vvho ſought for their lives.
ref: 1603, Plutarch, “Of the Naturall Love or Kindnes of Parents to Their Children”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 219:
text: See hovv the vvell-taught pointer leads the vvay: / The ſcent grovvs vvarm; he ſtops; he ſprings the prey; / The flutt'ring coveys from the ſtubble riſe, / And on ſvvift vving divide the ſounding ſkies; […]
ref: 1713, John Gay, “Rural Sports. A Georgic. Inscribed to Mr. [Alexander] Pope.”, in Poems on Several Occasions, volume I, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], and Bernard Lintot, […], published 1720, →OCLC, page 20, lines 337–340:
text: "Fine shooting," again muttered Lord Merton; "and if I knew Lord Etheringhame, he might ask me to shoot over his grounds." Campbell talks of the magic of a name—yes, if the name be partridges. "Well, Adelaide; but how do you mean to contrive it?" […] A lingering hope of the covies gave unusual animation to her brother's manner, when he hoped their acquaintance was only begun: […]
ref: 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter III, in Romance and Reality. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, pages 34 and 37:
glosses: A brood or family of partridges (family Phasianidae), which includes game birds such as grouse (tribe Tetraonini) and ptarmigans (tribe Tetraonini, genus Lagopus).
examples: text: Like when you quail huntin' and it's getting dark and you can hear the boss bird whistlin' tryin' to get the covey together again, and he's coming toward you slow and whistlin' soft, cause he knows you somewhere around with your gun.
ref: 1952 April 14, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (A Signet Book; Y3814), New York, N.Y.: New American Library, published 1952, →OCLC, page 52:
text: No sooner had I spoken than a covey of perhaps twenty birds flushed wild ahead of us and disappeared into the pine woods. […] Just the slamming of a car door, too much talking, or a fast-moving dog will cause a covey to flush well out of gun range.
ref: 1977 November, Pete McLain, “Your Great Outdoors—Northeast: Hunting Northern Bobwhite Quail”, in Field & Stream, volume LXXXII, number 7, New York, N.Y.: CBS Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 89, columns 2–3:
coordinate_terms: bevy
flock
gaggle
host
glosses: A group of other birds, such as quail (superfamily Phasianoidea).
examples: text: [T]here is not a better Spanniell in England to spring a couie of queanes than Martin.
ref: [1589], [John Lyly], Pappe with an Hatchet. Alias, A Figge for My God Sonne. […], London: […] Iohn Anoke, and Iohn Astile, for the Bayliue of Withernam [T. Orwin], […], →OCLC; republished as Pap with a Hatchet, London: John Petheram, […], 1844, →OCLC, page 39:
text: VVho are they in the corner? As I live, / A covey of Fidlers; I ſhall have ſome muſicke yet […]
ref: 1625 (date written), Iohn Fletcher, [Philip Massinger], The Elder Brother. A Comedie. […], London: […] F[elix] K[ingston] for J[ohn] W[aterson] and J[ohn] B[enson], published 1637, →OCLC, Act IV, scene iv, signature H2, recto:
text: I never did ſpring ſuch a Covye of Mathematicians all at once, as I met vvith at this time, Cervinus or Hart, Cure, John Stacy and Blach, all bred in Merton Colledge.
ref: a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, “Warwick-shire”, in The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC, page 124:
text: The whole covey of victims was thus netted; the household ruin was thus full and orbicular; and in that proportion the tendency of men and women, flutter as they might, would be helplessly and hopelessly to sink into the all-conquering hands of the mighty murderer.
ref: 1854, Thomas De Quincey, “On Murder, Considered as One of the Fine Arts. Postscript.”, in Miscellanies (De Quincey’s Works; IV), London: James Hogg & Sons, →OCLC, page 76:
text: Maria, still fondly lingering by Harry's chair, with her hand at the back of it, could see his cards, and that a whole covey of trumps was ranged in one corner.
ref: 1857–1858, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, “Plenum Opus Aleæ”, in The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume I, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858, →OCLC, page 215:
text: The store is on a corner about which coveys of ragged-plumed, hilarious children play and become candidates for the cough drops and soothing syrups that wait for them inside.
ref: 1906 April, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein”, in The Four Million, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co, →OCLC, page 118:
text: A covey of grey soldiers clanked down the platform at the double with their equipment and embarked, but in absolute silence, which seemed to them very singular.
ref: 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, London: Faber and Faber, →ISBN; republished in The Avignon Quintet, London: Faber and Faber, 2004, →ISBN, page 736:
glosses: A group or party of people; also, a group or set of things.
Related terms: english: of a bird or other animal: to brood, cover, incubate, or sit over (eggs)
translation: of a bird or other animal: to brood, cover, incubate, or sit over (eggs)
word: cove