hinny

noun, verb — 3 senses

hinny

noun

/ˈhɪ.ni/

Etymology From Latin hinnus, from Ancient Greek ἴννος (ínnos), γίννος (gínnos). Possibly cognate with hinnire (“to whinny”).

1

The hybrid offspring of a stallion (male horse) and a she-ass (female donkey).

The curer said nothing to the cowboy but went straight to the mule, or hinny, rather, being out of San's big jenny by Alder's white horse.2001, Ursula K. Le Guin, “On the High Marsh”, in Tales from Earthsea:

Derived terms: singing hinny, zebrinny
Related terms: mule

hinny

verb

Etymology Alteration of whinny, which is onomatopoeic.

1

To whinny

hinny

noun

Etymology From standard English honey.

1

Geordie A term of endearment usually for women.

Open the door, my hinny, my heart, / Open the door, my own darling; / Mind you the words that you and I spoke, / Down in the meadow, at the World’s End Well.1890, Joseph Jacobs, “The Well of the World’s End”, in English Fairy Tales, page 217:
`You will make a great diagnostician, nae doot, my hinny, but you need tae improve your bedside manner.'2016, Kerry Greenwood, Murder and Mendelssohn, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 310:

Derived terms: singing hinny

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.