covey

noun

cov·​ey ˈkə-vē 

plural coveys

1

: a mature bird or pair of birds with a brood of young

also : a small flock

2

: company, group

a covey of schoolchildren

Examples of covey in a Sentence

A covey of schoolchildren approached.

A covey of reporters came to the event.

Recent Examples on the Web

The sight of a covey of desert quail fills me with a mad, superhuman strength. —Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024

And because quail live in coveys, the parasites can spread quickly through wild populations. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 18 July 2024

Often the best way to proceed is to flush the covey, then hunt up the singles, which will often sit very well for a dog. —Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024

Once hatched, the chicks feed on insects, and the family group stays together, forming a covey that will remain together into the fall. —Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024

Areas that always produce a covey were lifeless. —Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 16 Sep. 2020

Home gardens may see nesting mourning dove, a covey of baby quail, or the miracle of tiny hummingbird chicks hatching from miniature eggs in a nest not much bigger than a large thimble. —Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2022

This slower afternoon there were couples strolling, a few runners, a covey of bicycles, a family out for an autumn city walk — kids, parents, an older woman moving carefully using a walker. —Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Dec. 2021

Soon the covey moved on, and the quail whispers faded with them. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French covee sitting (of hen), from cover to sit on, brood over, from Latin cubare to lie

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

covey

noun

cov·​ey ˈkəv-ē 

plural coveys

1

: a small flock (as of quail)

2

: company sense 2a, group