hinny

[ hin-ee ]

/ ˈhɪn i /

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noun, plural hin·nies.

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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Compare mule¹ (def. 1).

Origin of hinny

First recorded in 1680–90; obsolete hinne (from Latin hinnus; akin to Greek gínnos “mule”) + -y²

Words nearby hinny

Hingis, Hinglish, Hinkle, hinkty, hinky, hinny, hinoki cypress, Hinsdale, Hinshelwood, hint, hinterland

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use hinny in a sentence

The body and barrel, however, of the hinny are flat and narrow, in which it differs from the horse and resembles the she ass.
The Principles of Breeding|S. L. Goodale
The hinny, on the other hand, the produce of the stallion and she ass, is essentially a modified horse.
The Principles of Breeding|S. L. Goodale
A very curious circumstance pertains to the voice of the mule and the hinny.
The Principles of Breeding|S. L. Goodale
And hark ye, hinny, this house is to be your hame until you light on a better one, so just sleep saft in it and wake merrily.
The Christian|Hall Caine

You wouldn't deprive a poor cratur of all the comfort she has in the world, would ye, hinny?
Adle Dubois|Mrs. William T. Savage

British Dictionary definitions for hinny (1 of 3)

hinny¹

/ (ˈhɪnɪ) /

noun plural -nies

the sterile hybrid offspring of a male horse and a female donkey or assCompare mule 1 (def. 1)

Word Origin for hinny

C17: from Latin hinnus, from Greek hinnos

British Dictionary definitions for hinny (2 of 3)

hinny²

/ (ˈhɪnɪ) /

verb -nies, -nying or -nied

a less common word for whinny

British Dictionary definitions for hinny (3 of 3)

hinny³

/ (ˈhɪnɪ) /

noun

Scot and Northern English dialect a term of endearment, esp for a woman or child

Word Origin for hinny

variant of honey

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012