pony

[ poh-nee ]
See synonyms for pony on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural po·nies.
  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.

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

  2. something small of its kind.

  3. a small glass for liquor.

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

  5. a small beverage bottle, often holding seven ounces (196 grams): We bought a dozen ponies of Mexican beer.

  6. Older Slang. a diminutive chorus girl.

  7. British Slang. the sum of 25 pounds.

verb (used with object),po·nied, po·ny·ing.
  1. Slang. to prepare (lessons) by means of a pony.

  2. Racing Slang.

    • to be the outrider for (a racehorse).

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

verb (used without object),po·nied, po·ny·ing.
  1. to prepare a lesson or lessons with the aid of a pony.

Idioms about pony

  1. pony up, Informal. to pay (money), as in settling an account: Next week you'll have to pony up the balance of the loan.

Origin of pony

1
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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pony in a sentence

  • The general ensemble of war-paint and spotted ponies was enough for me; I didn't need to be told that it was my move.

    Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
  • The Korean ponies are small, fine-coated animals, little larger than Shetland ponies.

    Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
  • The servants were late in bringing around the ponies, and the process of loading them was a very slow one.

    Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
  • This mob of men and boys were good-natured, but very curious, and it gathered so close as to impede the progress of the ponies.

    Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
  • Leaving the ponies in charge of the mapus, they marched up the hill to get a nearer sight of the tree.

    Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike

British Dictionary definitions for pony

pony

/ (ˈpəʊnɪ) /


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

    • a small drinking glass, esp for liqueurs

    • the amount held by such a glass

  1. anything small of its kind

  2. British slang a sum of £25, esp in bookmaking

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

Origin of pony

1
C17: from Scottish powney, perhaps from obsolete French poulenet a little colt, from poulain colt, from Latin pullus young animal, foal

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with pony

pony

In addition to the idioms beginning with pony

  • pony up

also see:

  • dog-and-pony show

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.