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”; couvade, concubine

Example Sentences

Goodbye as well to a covey of quarterbacks, several of whom didn’t impress despite getting ample opportunities with most starters sitting out the entire preseason.

From Los Angeles Times

The book resonates with a rustic knowingness that coveys the intricacies and suspicions of tightly bound lives.

From Los Angeles Times

In the fall and winter, quail typically live in flocks, or coveys, with about a dozen birds.

From Washington Post

The Continental Congress could be driven from one location to another like a covey of pigeons, and it was.

From Literature

In a 1916 interview with the Washington Evening Star, Bailey described the coveys of quail that roamed the fringes of Washington, “fed by the police patrolling the outskirts of the city.”

From Washington Post