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# donkey

«donkey» in Mova's school dictionary: **An animal like a small horse with long ears and a loud…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a donkey, donkeys)

### meaning for a pupil

1) An animal like a small horse with long ears and a loud bray, used to carry loads or give rides. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#m1)

2) (informal, mildly rude) A silly or stupid person: Don't be a donkey! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#m2)

3) «donkey's years» (UK, informal) = a very long time. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science donkeys are mammals related to horses; in stories they carry loads and are stubborn; on British beaches children ride donkeys; in maths problems donkeys have 4 legs and carry loads. Phrases: «donkey ride», «donkey work» (dull hard work), «donkey's years», «stubborn as a donkey».

### examples

- We had a donkey ride on the beach. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#x1)
- The donkey carried bags of rice up the hill. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#x2)
- A donkey says «hee-haw». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#x3)
- I haven't seen her in donkey's years. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#x4)
- Who does all the donkey work around here? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#x5)
- Three donkeys have 12 legs altogether. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#x6)
- You silly donkey, you've put your shoes on the wrong feet! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#x7)
- ‘Here on the shoulders of a donkey.’ [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/#x8)

### note

Plural «donkeys» (not donkies: a vowel before y, so just add -s). A male is a jack, a female a jenny; a young one a foal. A mule is half donkey, half horse. Myth: donkeys are not stupid; they are careful and clever.

### In the corpora

- [Donkeys bray to call other donkeys, and the sound can carry about 3 kilometres across their desert homeland.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/25-horses-zebras-and-donkeys/14/)
- [Donkey coats are not waterproof like horses' coats, so donkeys need shelter from the rain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules/7/)
- [Donkeys form strong friendships and can become very upset if their friend is taken away.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules/8/)
- [Donkeys often live 30 to 40 years and some reach 50, longer than most horses.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules/10/)
- [Donkeys love to roll in dust, which scratches itches, cleans the coat and keeps off flies.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/145-shrek-s-donkey-real-donkeys-and-mules/13/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «donkey» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/donkey/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.