jenny

¹

[ jen-ee ]

noun

, plural jen·nies.

1. spinning jenny.
2. the female of certain animals, especially a female donkey or a female bird:

   a jenny wren.

jenny

²

or jen·nie

[ jen-ee ]

noun

, Nautical Slang.

, plural jen·nies.

1. genoa.

jenny

/ ˈdʒɛnɪ /

noun

1. a hand-operated machine for turning up the edge of a piece of sheet metal in preparation for making a joint
2. the female of certain animals or birds, esp a donkey, ass, or wren
3. See spinning jenny
   short for spinning jenny
4. See short jenny, long jenny
   billiards snooker an in-off See long jenny short jenny

Word History and Origins

Origin of jenny¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; generic use of Jenny, proper name

Origin of jenny²

Shortening and alteration of Genoa

Word History and Origins

Origin of jenny¹

C17: from the name Jenny, diminutive of Jane

Example Sentences

Then the commercial weight loss behemoths Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig joined this crowded field.

From The Daily Beast

Will you work with Jenny Slate, John Daly, John Mulaney, etc. moving forward?

From The Daily Beast

Liz G., one half of “Publizity” [the other half of which, Liz B, is played by Jenny Slate] is one of the best on the show.

From The Daily Beast

Jenny Slate and Rosario Dawson make out at midnight because everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.

From The Daily Beast

Jenny Kutner, a 23-year-old writer for Salon, talked about her abortion after an IUD failure.

From The Daily Beast

At the time of his transient wealth Couture splendidly maintained Jenny Cadine.

From Project Gutenberg

It was Jenny's sympathy on this first night, when awakened by Ruth's irrepressible agony, that had made the bond between them.

From Project Gutenberg

We were here above two months, attracted by Jenny's kind heart and oddities; but driven away finally by the insufferable dirt.

From Project Gutenberg

"It couldna ha'e been worse," said Jenny Maitland sorrowfully to her next door neighbor.

From Project Gutenberg

Jenny's awa' owre to Rundell Hoose, an' we'll no' ken onything till she comes back.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• burro
• horse
• mule

More About Jenny

What does jenny mean?

The word jenny is used to refer to certain female animals, especially a female donkey or female bird.

When capitalized, Jenny is a proper name. Its sense referring to female donkeys is typically used in technical discussions of breeding. Unrelatedly, jenny can also refer to the spinning jenny, a machine for spinning yarn.

Example: I raise donkeys, and our jenny just had a foal.

Where does jenny come from?

Jenny is probably best known as a name. Many people are named Jenny, but it can also be a nickname. Today, it’s often used as a nickname for Jennifer (like Jenny from the Block), but traditionally it has also been used as a nickname for Janet and Jane. Jenny as a proper name for girls is typically cited as the basis of its use to refer to a female animal. The first records of this sense come from the 1600s.

You’ve heard of a jackass—the term literally refers to a male donkey and comes from the name Jack. The female equivalent is a jenny-ass. Jenny is most commonly associated with female donkeys, but jenny has historically been used as a term for other female animals, particularly birds, especially wrens.

Jenny was once used as a short way of saying spinning jenny, a spinning machine that allowed multiple threads to be spun at once, rather than just one. It’s unclear why jenny was used in its name.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for jenny?

• female donkey
• spinning jenny
• jennet

What are some words that often get used in discussing jenny?

 

• Jennifer
• Jane
• Janet
• donkey
• female
• jackass
• yarn
• wren

How is jenny used in real life?

The word jenny referring to a female animal is most commonly applied to donkeys, typically by people who work with donkeys.

Hi, Donkey!!! This adorable five-day old Jenny (a female donkey in farmer language) makes me so happy. I wish I could pet her! She is at my mom and dad’s farm in Florida. So cute!!! @FlemRarSchools pic.twitter.com/xXMx9HMCRV

— Dr. Kari McGann (@karimcgann) March 21, 2020

Lucky Sixpence x Jenny Wren Farthing SPECIAL. A unique Jenny Wren sixpence will be the runners up prize in the #ripglastonbury #hairygrowler raffle / giveaway. pic.twitter.com/LnKsTmowTN

— Harry Growler (@hairygrowler) March 24, 2020

Up my garden:
Great to see Jenny Wren working hard along the picket fence, bobbing in and out staccato fashion.
Back lawn looking its best in early spring sunshine and before big oak tree comes into leaf.
Magpie ‘colony’ on the move today, counted 9 without trying

— Henry Exton (@ExtonH) March 24, 2020

 

 

Try using jenny!

Is jenny used correctly in the following sentence?

The offspring of a jenny and a male horse is called a hinny.