covey

American  

[kuhv-ee] / ˈkʌv i /

noun

plural

coveys

1. a brood or small flock of partridges or similar birds.

2. a group, set, or company.

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covey British  

/ ˈkʌvɪ /

noun

1. a small flock of grouse or partridge

2. a small group, as of people

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Etymology

Origin of covey

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English, variant of covee, from Anglo-French, Old French, noun use of feminine of past participle of cover “to hatch,” from Latin cubāre “to lie down”; cf. couvade, concubine

Explanation

A covey is a social group of birds. You can also use it for a group of people, like the covey of kids that hangs out on the playground after school. The roots of covey go back to the Latin cubare, "incubate or hatch." The word was originally used for a brood of newly-hatched partridges or other similar birds. Today it can refer to one family group, like a mother pigeon and her chicks, or a flock that hangs out together. Feel free to describe other groups using this word, like the covey of tourists walking slowly down the sidewalk with their map as the locals dodge past them.

Example Sentences

The following year he doubled down when he helped fund Comstock’s acquisition of rival Covey Park Energy with $475 million of his own money.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

Erin Covey, who analyzes House races for the Cook Report, puts GOP gains as high as 13, again depending on the November outcome in California.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2025

Erin Covey, an analyst for the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, said the race will be crucial in determining whether Republicans maintain their narrow majority in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2024

“We came this close,” Mr. Covey said in a speech to supporters in Orange, Texas.

From New York Times • May 28, 2024

When Mom wakes me up for evening prayers, I’m clutching an old Franklin Covey agenda, one that contains a series of arguments to prove Caliban’s depravity.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali