whinny
/ˈwɪni
/noun (plural whinnies)
A gentle, high-pitched neigh.The end of her exclamation turned into a high-pitched whinny and Leif started....
- Shortly afterward, the others heard whinnies and neighs and the two rescuers urging their steeds forward.
- In a decision that speaks well of his integrity but poorly of his abilities as a children's entertainer, screenwriter John Fusco decided that his equine characters communicate only through neighs and whinnies.
verb (whinnies, whinnying, whinnied) [no object]
(Of a horse) make a whinny: the pony whinnied and tossed his head happily...
- Kel's horse whinnied and stamped, tossing her head to try to free up the reigns a little.
- They stared at each other for a few seconds before the horse whinnied loudly and started to canter towards her.
- As he stepped from his hut, his horse whinnied from the crude stable next to the house.
Origin
Late Middle English (as a verb): imitative. The noun dates from the early 19th century.