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

They had so many kids following along behind them they looked like a covey of quails.

From Literature

There was so much bobbing and grinning and nodding up and down, they looked like a covey of quails.

From Literature

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