I. ˈchivē, -vi noun
or chevy “ sometimes -ev-
( -es )
Etymology: probably short for English dialect Chevy Chase chase, pursuit, noise, confusion, from the name of a ballad describing the Battle of Otterburn (1388), probably alteration of Cheviot Chase, from Cheviot hills, range of hills in northern England and Scotland, near which the battle took place
1. Britain
a. : hunt II 1, chase II 1
b. : flight I
2. Britain : prisoner's base
II. transitive verb
or chevy “ ; or chiv·vy also chiv·ey -iv-
( -ed/-ing/-es )
1. : chase , pursue
2.
a. : to harass, annoy, or tease especially with persistence and by petty vexations and often for a specific purpose : harry
he drove his staff hard but never nagged or chivied his writers — Time
the skua chivies the herring gull and makes it surrender the booty — J.A.Thomson
b. : to acquire, attain, direct, or manipulate by persistent petty maneuvering
chivying the polo ball with small strokes — George Orwell
chivy an olive out of a bottle
Synonyms: see bait