Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A horse of any of several stocky breeds that are small in size when full grown, such as the Shetland pony.
  • noun Informal A racehorse.
  • noun Sports A polo horse.
  • noun Something small for its kind, especially a small glass for beer or liqueur.
  • noun A word-for-word translation of a foreign language text, especially one used as an aid in studying or test-taking.
  • noun Chiefly British The sum of 25 pounds.
  • transitive verb To lead (a horse) with another horse.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To use a pony in translating: as, to pony a piece of Latin.
  • To pay; settle; put: with up.
  • noun Something very small of its kind: an attributive use.
  • noun A very small horse; specifically, a horse less than 13 hands in height.
  • noun The sum of £25.
  • noun A translation of a Greek or Latin author used unfairly in the preparation of lessons; hence, any book so used: same as horse, 9. [School and college slang.]
  • noun A very small drinking-glass.
  • noun The quantity (of liquor) contained in such a glass.
  • noun A small raft of logs.
  • noun In the West Indies, a small tree, Tecoma serratifolia.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A small horse.
  • noun Slang, Eng. Twenty-five pounds sterling.
  • noun College Cant A translation or a key used to avoid study in getting lessons; a crib; a trot.
  • noun Slang A small glass of beer.
  • noun a light, low chaise, drawn by a pony or a pair of ponies.
  • noun [U.S.] a small locomotive for switching cars from one track to another.
  • noun (Locomotive Engine) a truck which has only two wheels.
  • noun (Bridge Building) a truss which has so little height that overhead bracing can not be used.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Cockney rhyming slang Of little worth.
  • noun Any of several small breeds of horse under 14.2 hands.
  • noun regional A small serving of an alcoholic beverage.
  • noun Australia, New South Wales, Victoria A serving of 140 millilitres of beer.
  • noun UK, slang Twenty-five pounds sterling.
  • noun US, slang A translation used as a study aid; loosely, a crib, a cheat-sheet.
  • noun Cockney rhyming slang (from "pony and trap") Crap; rubbish, nonsense.
  • verb transitive To lead (a horse) from another horse.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a range horse of the western United States
  • noun an informal term for a racehorse
  • noun a small glass adequate to hold a single swallow of whiskey
  • noun any of various breeds of small gentle horses usually less than five feet high at the shoulder
  • noun a literal translation used in studying a foreign language (often used illicitly)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably from obsolete French poulenet, diminutive of poulain, colt, from Late Latin pullāmen, young of an animal, from Latin pullus; see pau- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Shortened from pony and trap, rhyming with crap

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

1659 from Scots powny, apparently from French poulenet ("little foal") (15th c.), ultimately from Late Latin pullanus ("young of an animal") (cognate to English foal).

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word pony.

Examples

  • As Mr Crummles had a strange four – legged animal in the inn stables, which he called a pony, and a vehicle of unknown design, on which he bestowed the appellation of a four – wheeled phaeton, Nicholas proceeded on his journey next morning with greater ease than he had expected: the manager and himself occupying the front seat: and the Master

    Nicholas Nickleby 2007

  • Well, the pony is there, and so is the black horse.

    The Old Helmet 1864

  • The pony is what we all deserve ... not just you and I and other disgruntled fans ... but the fans who don't even know that this works so much better in the long run.

    New FIC...Afterlife...a fix-it fic for JE sensiblecat 2009

  • He had the round, deep-chested, big-hearted, well-coupled body of the ideal mountain pony, and his head and neck were true thoroughbred, slender, yet full, with lovely alert ears not too small to be vicious nor too large to be stubborn mulish.

    ON THE MAKALOA MAT 2010

  • Half a pony is like something out of the Godfather.

    What I love about Russell T. Davies rabid1st 2009

  • While I love Russel and really respect David (or vice a versa) in the end the real reason I'm holding out legitimate, honest hope for a pony is Billie Piper.

    Pony Pep Talk Needed...ARRGGH! rabid1st 2009

  • But his hardy mountain pony he could scarcely raise a trot,

    Archive 2010-05-01 Blue Tyson 2010

  • And after reading the other comments, my major pony is the belief that we're going to see Rose and Ten2 in one of these specials.

    A final note on Torchwood:CoE and S4 Doctor Who rabid1st 2009

  • After all, a fire chief with a pink pony is absolutely what the world needs right now.

    Women’s History Month « Tales from the Reading Room 2009

  • The pony is for all of us ... we can pet it and ride it and feet it apple slices.

    What I love about Russell T. Davies rabid1st 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • The Pony was a dance made popular in the 1960s by the Chubby Checker song "Pony Time". The beat is 1&2, 3&4, etc, with the feet comfortably together. Various arm and hand motions can be done when Pony-ing, and movement on the dance floor can occur; however, there is no line-of-dance. Couples do not touch, and they are generally facing each other, but turns and chase positions are also possible.

    The Pony is mentioned in the Wilson Pickett song Land of a Thousand Dances and in the Nick Lowe song "I Knew the Bride".

    The Pony is mentioned in the Go-go's song "We Got the Beat."

    _Wikipedia

    February 24, 2008

  • In Fourceelia (and as it turns out, in many other places, according to google), ... and a pony means... wait, someone else explained it better than I could do here (link)

    This is what I refer to as ".. and a Pony!" thinking: the person asking the question doesn't know that what they're asking for is essentially impossible. So you might as well throw a Pony in there while you're at it. Everyone loves Ponies.

    Here's the original reference (from Bill Watterson's masterpiece Calvin and Hobbes):

    March 23, 2011

  • Awesome, Pro! I'd call for lots more cowbell to accompany that pony. Why not "go for broke". "Shoot the moon".

    March 23, 2011