cony

plural conies · alternative coney · alternative cunny · alternative connie

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.

   I wear skins of cony, / That cause me to look so dunny.

   c. 1517 (date written; published c. 1545), John Skelton, “Here after Foloweth the Booke Called Elynour Rummynge. The Tunnyng of Elynour Rummyng per Skelton Laureat.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 108, lines 399–400

   1 more example

   ORLANDO. Are you native of this place? / ROSALIND. As the cony that you see / dwell where she is kindled.

   c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], lines 344-346

2. UKdialectalRabbit fur.
3. Locally for other rabbit-like or hyrax-like animals, such as the Cape hyrax (das, dassie) or the pika (Ochotona princeps, formerly Lagomys princeps).
   1. Used in the Old Testament as a translation of Hebrew שָׁפָן (shafán), thought to be the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis, syn. Hyrax syriacus).
4. obsoleteA simpleton; one who may be taken in by a cony-catcher.

   It is a most simple animal; whence are derived our usual phrases of cony and cony catcher.

   1599, Diet's Dry Dinner

5. An edible West Indian fish, a grouper given in different sources as: Epinephelus apua, the hind of Bermuda; nigger-fish, Epinephelus punctatus; Cephalopholis fulva.
6. Any of certain members of family Epinephelidae of Atlantic groupers, such as mutton hamlets, graysby, Cuban coneys, and rooster hinds.
7. UKdialectalA burbot.

   Synonyms: coney-fish

8. obsoleteA woman; a sweetheart.

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of City of New York.

1. Alternative letter-case form of CONY