different between donkey vs zeedonk

English

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. Originally a slang term from the late eighteenth century. Perhaps from Middle English *donekie (“a miniature dun horse”), a double diminutive of Middle English don, dun, dunne (a name for a dun horse), equivalent to modern English dun (“brownish grey colour”) + -ock (diminutive suffix) + -ie (diminutive suffix). Compare Middle English donning (“a dun horse”), English dunnock.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d??ki/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?d??ki/, /?d??ki/; (rare and nonstandard) /?d??ki/
• Rhymes: -??ki
• Hyphenation: don?key

Noun

donkey (plural donkeys)

1. A domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar to a horse.
2. A stubborn person.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:stubborn person

3. A fool.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:fool

4. (nautical) A small auxiliary engine.

   Synonym: donkey engine

5. (naval slang, dated) A box or chest, especially a toolbox.
6. (poker slang) A bad poker player.

Hyponyms

• jack
• jackass
• jenny

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Afrikaans: donkie
• ? Northern Sotho: tonki
• ? Tok Pisin: donki

Translations

See also

• ass
• mule
• hinny

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “donkey”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• “donkey” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

References

• (box or chest): 1930, Naval Review (London) (volume 18, page 592)

English

Alternative forms

• zedonk

Etymology

Blend of zebra +? donkey

Noun

zeedonk (plural zeedonks)

1. A cross between a zebra and a donkey.
   • 1997, Thomas Fensch, Of Sneetches and Whos and the Good Dr. Seuss [1]

     One might have imagined that it could only have been Dr. Seuss who had thought up and named the zedonk—the animal produced when a male zebra mates with a female donkey!

   • 2003, Colin Bell, GCSE Applied Science Student Book [2]

     Suggest which animals are the parents of the cross breeds, zedonk and tiglion.

   • 2004, Kevin O'Hara, Last of the Donkey Pilgrims [3]

     I could have told him about zedonks and zebrasses; donkey cures for whooping cough and gout, how an onager is a wild ass from Central Asia; that the Australian kookaburra is nicknamed “the laughing donkey”; [...]

Synonyms

• zebrass