What does "cony" mean?
A rabbit, especially the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (formerly known as Lepus cuniculus).
Cony
/ˈkoʊ.ni/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A rabbit, especially the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (formerly known as Lepus cuniculus).
- Grammar: cony is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: bunny, hare, rabbit, coney.
- Useful contrasts: faux fur, predator.
- Usage evidence: I were skynnes of conny, / That causeth I loke so donny.
How to use "cony"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cony" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cony" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cony" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cony" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cony" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bunny" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cony", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A rabbit, especially the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (formerly known as Lepus cuniculus).
"I were skynnes of conny, / That causeth I loke so donny."
- 2 any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food wordnet
- 3 Rabbit fur. UK, dialectal
- 4 small short-eared burrowing mammal of rocky uplands of Asia and western North America wordnet
- 5 Locally for other rabbit-like or hyrax-like animals, such as the Cape hyrax (das, dassie) or the pika (Ochotona princeps, formerly Lagomys princeps).
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes wordnet
- 7 Locally for other rabbit-like or hyrax-like animals, such as the Cape hyrax (das, dassie) or the pika (Ochotona princeps, formerly Lagomys princeps).; Used in the Old Testament as a translation of Hebrew שָׁפָן (shafán), thought to be the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis, syn. Hyrax syriacus).
- 8 A simpleton; one who may be taken in by a cony-catcher. obsolete
"It is a most simple animal; whence are derived our usual phrases of cony and cony catcher."
- 9 An edible West Indian fish, a grouper given in different sources as: Epinephelus apua, the hind of Bermuda; nigger-fish, Epinephelus punctatus; Cephalopholis fulva.
- 10 Any of certain members of family Epinephelidae of Atlantic groupers, such as mutton hamlets, graysby, Cuban coneys, and rooster hinds.
- 11 A burbot. UK, dialectal
- 12 A woman; a sweetheart. obsolete
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of City of New York. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of CONY alt-of
Antonyms
faux furpredator
Example
"I were skynnes of conny, / That causeth I loke so donny."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cony"?
Common synonyms include: bunny, hare, rabbit, coney, coney fur, das.
How do you use "cony" in a sentence?
I were skynnes of conny, / That causeth I loke so donny.
How do you pronounce "cony"?
Pronounced /ˈkoʊ.ni/.
Etymology
From Middle English cony, back formation from conies (plural), from Anglo-Norman conis, the plural of connil (“rabbit”), from Latin cunīculus, of unknown origin. Cognate to Catalan conill, Dutch konijn, German Kaninchen, Spanish conejo, and Portuguese coelho. The original pronunciation was /ˈkʌni/ (for the spelling, compare honey and money), but the similarity to cunt (and particularly homophony with cunny) led through taboo avoidance both to the word's displacement in the main by rabbit and bunny and to the spelling-pronunciation /ˈkəʊni/ becoming standard.