neigh

[ ney ]

See synonyms for neigh on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to utter the cry of a horse; whinny.

noun

the cry of a horse; whinny.

Origin of neigh

before 1000; Middle English ney(gh)en,Old English hnǣgan, cognate with Middle Dutch neyen,Old Saxon hnēgian,Middle High German nēgen,Old High German hneigen,Old Norse hneggja; akin to Old Saxon hnechian;Middle Dutch nighen,Middle Low German nigen,Middle High German nyhen; and, with intrusion in the initial, Old Norse gneggja,Norwegian kneggja.See nag²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use neigh in a sentence

But with quick instinct she perceived that he laughed only as the war-horse neighs when he scents the battle from afar.
Joan of the Sword Hand | S(amuel) R(utherford) Crockett
The count himself gave it a measure of oats, which he saw it dispose of with neighs of pleasure, and then put on the saddle.
The Tiger-Slayer | Gustave Aimard
The horse neighs at the trumpet; the Leviathan laughs at the speare.
A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale | Samuel Ward
Towards the cross-roads some horses burst into shrill neighs of fear, their drivers swearing and loudly cracking their whips.
'Neath Verdun, August-October, 1914 | Maurice Genevoix
His wrath was that of a work horse who breaks the tight reins of his laboring outfit, tosses his mane, neighs wildly and bites.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | Vicente Blasco Ibanez

British Dictionary definitions for neigh

neigh

/ (neɪ) /

noun

the high-pitched cry of a horse; whinny

verb

(intr) to make a neigh or a similar noise
(tr) to utter with a sound like a neigh

Origin of neigh

Old English hnǣgan; related to Old Saxon hnēgian

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

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