covey

American  

[kuhv-ee] / ˈkʌv i /

noun

coveys plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• coveys
  plural

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 safety of the firefighters on site prevented officials from offering more updates on the tank's internal temperature over the weekend, Covey said.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

"The crack is there. We have verified that it's there, and the tank has released its pressure," Covey said.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Division Chief Craig Covey said on Monday that the tank's temperature has decreased, which led to the "positive news".

From BBC • May 25, 2026

“We made a call last night to go back on the offensive,” Covey said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

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