chiv·vy or chiv·y (chĭv'ē) v.
chiv·vied or chiv·ied, chiv·vy·ing or chiv·y·ing, chiv·vies or chiv·ies
v.
tr.
To vex or harass with petty attacks: political opponents who chivvied the senator.
To maneuver or secure gradually: "had spent two weeks chivvying this division toward combat readiness"(Tom Clancy).
v.
intr. To scurry. n.
pl.chiv·vies or chiv·ies
A hunt or chase.
A hunting cry.
[Variant of chevy, a hunt, hunting cry, from Chevy Chase, title of a ballad about a border skirmish, from Cheviot Chase, a large unenclosed hunting tract in the Cheviot Hills.]