donkey

Meaning

1. A domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar to a horse.
2. A stubborn person.
3. A fool.
4. A small auxiliary engine.
5. (slang) A box or chest, especially a toolbox.
6. (slang) A bad poker player.
7. British sea term for a sailor's storage chest.

Synonyms

ass

🍑

jackass

burro

mule

domestic ass

moke

hare

African wild ass

Equus asinus

bullfrog

cuddy

cur

dope

dunce

fool

groundhog

horse

🐴

idiot

imbecile

jennet

jenny

laborer

larry

mutton-head

pony

ram

🐏

secondary

she-ass

subordinate

subsidiary

supplementary

support

truck

🚚

wild ass

big cock

Neddy

male ass

female ass

feral ass

wild desert donkey

shlong

humongous dick

adjunct

big dick

adjuvant

aided

ancillary

assistant

auxiliary

barney

bearer

beast of burden

Hyphenated as

don‧key

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈdɒŋki/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: *donekie

Cognate with English: dun

Cognate with Middle English: donning

Cognate with English: dunnock

In summary

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). 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).