donkey

/'dɔɳki/

Thân thiện

A farmer leads a donkey carrying two baskets of vegetables.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A domesticated hoofed mammal of the horse family: A donkey is a domestic animal, smaller than a horse, with long ears and a braying call. It is known for its strength, patience, and sometimes stubbornness.
   • A stupid or foolish person: (Informal, often offensive) Used to refer to a person who is considered silly, foolish, or obstinate.
   • A machine or engine for auxiliary power: (Technical) A small auxiliary engine, as on a ship.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Animal):
  • The farmer used a donkey to carry loads up the mountain path.
  • We could hear the donkey braying from the field.
• Noun (Person):
  • Don't be such a donkey; that's a terrible idea. (Informal, potentially offensive)
• Noun (Machine):
  • The sailors started the donkey engine to power the winch.

Advanced Usage

• "donkey's years": (British English, informal) A very long time.
  • I haven't seen her in donkey's years!
• "talk the hind leg off a donkey": (Informal) To talk incessantly and at great length.
  • He could talk the hind leg off a donkey about his stamp collection.

Variants and Related Words

• Donkeywork (noun): Hard, routine, or monotonous work.
  • I did all the donkeywork on the project.
• Donkey jacket (noun): A heavy, weatherproof workman's jacket, typically dark blue with a panel of another material across the shoulders.

Synonyms

• Ass: (More formal term for the animal; also used for a foolish person).
• Burro: (Spanish-derived term for a donkey, common in the Americas).
• Mule: (The sterile offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; distinct from a pure donkey).
• Fool: (For the informal meaning referring to a person).

Related Phrases

• Stubborn as a donkey/mule: Extremely obstinate.
  • He's as stubborn as a donkey and won't change his mind.

Idioms

• "The donkey means one thing and the driver another": (Proverb) This highlights a situation where two parties have different aims or understandings.

Học thuật

Noun

1. domestic beast of burden descended from the African wild ass; patient but stubborn
2. the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

Từ đồng nghĩa

• domestic ass
• Equus asinus