I. ˈhwinē, -ni also ˈwi- adjective
Etymology: Middle English whynny, from whynne whin + -y
archaic : abounding in gorse or furze
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: perhaps irregular from whine (I)
intransitive verb
: to neigh especially in a low or gentle fashion : whicker
the white mares … whinnied and shook their bells — William Saroyan
she was stepping high and whinnied to her old teammates of the wagon — Hervey Allen
transitive verb
: to utter with or as if with a whinny
the horses whinny their greeting from the stalls
III. noun
( -es )
1. : neigh , whicker
a low whinny told her in what stall her horse would be — Elizabeth M. Roberts
2. : a sound resembling a whinny : whine
gave a kind of whinny between hysteria and indignation — Katherine A. Porter
a clatter of machinery and the piercing whinny of old valves — John Cheever