whinny

Definition

A gentle neigh.

Etymology

From Middle English whynyen, whinien, akin to Middle English whinen (“to whine”).

Example Sentences

• "And moving out they found the stately horse, / Who now no more a vassal to the thief, / But free to stretch his limbs in lawful fight, / Neigh'd with all gladness as they came, and stoop'd / With a low whinny toward the pair: […]"
• "When my wife and I heard a plaintive whinny from our laundry room the other day, we knew that our old dryer had cycled its last load."