A covey of schoolchildren approached.
A covey of reporters came to the event.
Recent Examples on the WebAnd 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 Some mornings there will be a covey of as many as 30 quail feeding in our garden.—San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'covey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French covee sitting (of hen), from cover to sit on, brood over, from Latin cubare to lie
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