hinny

American  

[hin-ee] / ˈhɪn i /

noun

hinnies plural

1. the sterile offspring of a male horse and a female donkey, similar in appearance and behavior to a mule, but usually smaller and with a more horselike head.

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hinny ¹ British  

/ ˈhɪnɪ /

noun

1. the sterile hybrid offspring of a male horse and a female donkey or ass Compare mule 1

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hinny ² British  

/ ˈhɪnɪ /

verb

1. a less common word for whinny

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hinny ³ British  

/ ˈhɪnɪ /

noun

1. dialect a term of endearment, esp for a woman or child

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hinnies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hinny

First recorded in 1680–90; obsolete hinne (from Latin hinnus; akin to Greek gínnos “mule”) + -y ²

Example Sentences

This worthy farm and sanctuary is home to 19 assorted equines — including three mares and their foals saved from slaughter, two rescued mustangs, plus mini-horses, mini-donkeys, a hinny and a mule.

From Washington Times • Apr. 5, 2018

A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, and a hinny is the offspring of a male horse and female donkey.

From New York Times • Oct. 31, 2016

When a female horse and a male donkey mate, they produce a longer-eared, thin-maned mule; a male horse and a female donkey typically generate a smaller, shorter-eared hinny.

From The New Yorker • May 2, 2016

A female donkey is called a jenny, so combine it with a horse and you kind of get a hinny.

From Time • Mar. 13, 2014

"Ye haven't got a cold, have you, hinny?" she asked anxiously, and he answered no, that he was quite well.

From In Orchard Glen by MacGregor, Mary Esther Miller