neigh

[ ney ]
See synonyms for neigh on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)
  1. to utter the cry of a horse; whinny.

noun
  1. the cry of a horse; whinny.

Origin of neigh

1
before 1000; Middle English ney(gh)en,Old English hnǣgan, cognate with Middle Dutch neyen,Old Saxon hnēgian,Middle High German nēgen,Old High German hneigen,Old Norse hneggja; akin to Old Saxon hnechian;Middle Dutch nighen,Middle Low German nigen,Middle High German nyhen; and, with intrusion in the initial, Old Norse gneggja,Norwegian kneggja.See nag2

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use neigh in a sentence

  • But with quick instinct she perceived that he laughed only as the war-horse neighs when he scents the battle from afar.

    Joan of the Sword Hand | S(amuel) R(utherford) Crockett
  • The count himself gave it a measure of oats, which he saw it dispose of with neighs of pleasure, and then put on the saddle.

    The Tiger-Slayer | Gustave Aimard
  • The horse neighs at the trumpet; the Leviathan laughs at the speare.

  • Towards the cross-roads some horses burst into shrill neighs of fear, their drivers swearing and loudly cracking their whips.

  • His wrath was that of a work horse who breaks the tight reins of his laboring outfit, tosses his mane, neighs wildly and bites.

    The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | Vicente Blasco Ibanez

British Dictionary definitions for neigh

neigh

/ (neɪ) /


noun
  1. the high-pitched cry of a horse; whinny

verb
  1. (intr) to make a neigh or a similar noise

  2. (tr) to utter with a sound like a neigh

Origin of neigh

1
Old English hnǣgan; related to Old Saxon hnēgian

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012