# donkey

Pronunciation: say "DONG-kee" US /ˈdɑŋki/, UK /ˈdɒŋki/

## Noun

1. A domesticated hoofed animal, Equus asinus, related to and smaller than the horse.
   - Simple: A long-eared animal like a small horse, often used to carry loads.
   - _The donkey hauled water jugs up the steep mountain path._
   - _Donkeys can survive on poorer food than horses._
2. A foolish or stupid person.
   - Simple: A silly person who does foolish things.
   - _Some donkey parked across two spaces in the busy lot._
   - _He felt like a donkey after locking his keys in the car._
3. A stubborn person, unwilling to be persuaded or to give way.
   - Simple: A person who refuses to change their mind, even when they should.
   - _Negotiations stalled because the old donkey would not budge an inch._
   - _He's a real donkey once he's made up his mind about something._
4. A poor or unskilled poker player, especially one who loses money through bad play. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A weak poker player who plays badly and often loses money.
   - _The pros were happy to see a donkey join their high-stakes game._
   - _Calling every raise with weak cards, he played like a complete donkey._
5. A small auxiliary engine used for secondary tasks, such as driving pumps or winches aboard a ship.
   - Simple: A small extra engine that does smaller jobs on a ship.
   - _Engineers fired up the donkey to drive the cargo winches._
   - _The ship's donkey supplied power for the deck machinery._

## Noun

6. A box or chest for tools or personal belongings, especially a toolbox or a sailor's storage chest. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A box or chest for keeping tools or a sailor's things in, especially on a ship.

## Origin

The origin is uncertain. Originally a late-eighteenth-century slang term, it perhaps comes from Middle English *donekie, a double diminutive meaning a small dun (brownish-grey) horse, formed from 'dun' plus diminutive suffixes, or similarly from the name Duncan. It became more common than the earlier word 'ass', partly because 'ass' sounded like 'arse'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/donkey (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).