pony

American  

[poh-nee] / ˈpoʊ ni /

noun

• ponies
  plural

1. a small horse of any of several breeds, usually not higher at the shoulder than 14½ hands (58 inches/146 centimeters).

2. a horse of any small type or breed.

3. Slang. a literal translation or other text, used illicitly as an aid in schoolwork or while taking a test; crib.

4. something small of its kind.

5. a small glass for liquor.

6. the amount of liquor it will hold, usually one ounce (29.6 milliliters).

7. a small beverage bottle, often holding seven ounces (196 grams).

   We bought a dozen ponies of Mexican beer.

8. Older Slang. a diminutive chorus girl.

9. pony pack.

10. British Slang. the sum of 25 pounds.

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verb (used with object)

ponied, ponying

1. Slang. to prepare (lessons) by means of a pony.

2. Racing Slang.

   1. to be the outrider for (a racehorse).

   2. to exercise (a racehorse) by having a rider mounted on another horse lead it at a gallop around a track.

verb (used without object)

ponied, ponying

1. to prepare a lesson or lessons with the aid of a pony.

idioms

1. pony up, to pay (money), as in settling an account.

   Next week you'll have to pony up the balance of the loan.

pony British  

/ ˈpəʊnɪ /

noun

1. any of various breeds of small horse, usually under 14.2 hands

2. 1. a small drinking glass, esp for liqueurs

   2. the amount held by such a glass

3. anything small of its kind

4. slang a sum of £25, esp in bookmaking

5. Also called: trot.  slang a literal translation used by students, often illicitly, in preparation for foreign language lessons or examinations; crib

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pony More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing pony

• dog-and-pony show

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ponies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pony

First recorded in 1650–60; earlier powney, from obsolete French poulenet, diminutive of poulain “colt,” from Medieval Latin pullānus ( Latin pull(us) “young animal” + -ānus adjective suffix); see foal, -an, -et

Explanation

A pony is just like a horse, only shorter. Riding a pony can be less intimidating than riding a horse, because you sit a little closer to the ground. Giddy-up! Many people think that ponies are young horses, but they're entirely different (though closely related) animals. A pony is smaller than a horse, with shorter legs, although often thicker and sturdier proportionally through the body. To pony up, on the other hand, doesn't have anything to do with equines: it means to pay money: "If you want a cup of lemonade, you'll have to pony up a dollar."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pony ponies ponied ponying

This means the buyer has to pony up whether they take shipment of the memory or not.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Amazon.com, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Oracle are expected to pony up more than $1.1 trillion in 2027, up from $650 billion this year.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Greensill persuaded Japanese tech investor SoftBank to pony up almost $2 billion in capital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Ceredigion council said it had only issued one licence to operate donkey or pony rides in the county - from Aberystwyth promenade - while Denbighshire has none.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

Much as a well-trained pony might jump over a murky brook and land, dry hooved, in the sun-dappled meadow beyond, Penelope’s mind now made a sudden leap over the muddle.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

"It was unreal," he said, adding that while ponies grazing on the mountain had escaped, he feared for a neighbour's pigs as flames swept through surrounding land.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Our daughter seems to love our four ponies most, probably because they’re like large dogs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

And before all you horse lovers come at me, I know ponies are capable of affection and friskiness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

They also said previous cuts – which the ponies were protected from in the past – had not boosted biodiversity on Dartmoor.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

I don't much care for the ponies; the noise they make, all that clanking and wheezing, tends to attract the dead.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

I even ponied up for a pay-per-view a few years back to see Mayweather spend eight rounds gently caressing Jake’s overmatched older brother, Logan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

“College sports are basically pro sports teams now,” Neirotti said about the money being ponied up to recruit and retain players.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 11, 2026

Despite my shoddy work ethic, and despite the fact that I’d still ponied up only $17, Cathy remained warm and supportive.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2025

But Californians, by and large, haven’t ponied up for flood insurance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2024

So the boys got together and ponied up for this little jail, and it's as neat a pile of mud and steel as ever you see.

From The Rangeland Avenger by Max Brand

In their 2021 book Peril, Bob Woodward and Robert Costa uncover a broader angle on Graham’s ponying up to power.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

McMorris said that while these payments don’t violate any laws, they are “ripe for abuse” because companies and people likely aren’t ponying up cash just to be good citizens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

Hawk estimated he is saving 80% by buying tickets for a potential game in Oklahoma City instead of ponying up for seats at Madison Square Garden.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

In fact, all the oligarchs are ponying up big bucks for that event.

From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2025

“Or if you turn into one of those girlfriends, always ponying around after her boyfriend, and speaking in the first-person plural. ‘We love the winter.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman