pony

noun

po·​ny ˈpō-nē 

plural ponies

1

a

: a small horse

especially : one of any of several breeds of very small stocky animals noted for their gentleness and endurance

b

: a bronco, mustang, or similar horse of the western U.S.

c

: racehorse

—usually used in plural

2

: something smaller than standard: such as

a

: a small beer glass

b

: a small liqueur glass typically holding one ounce

3

: a literal translation of a foreign language text

especially : one used surreptitiously by students in preparing or reciting lessons

Examples of pony in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But what her mum did have was grit, raising her children alone and working three jobs to keep ponies in their lives. — Gemma Redrup, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Alongside the free-roaming Sandalwood ponies that canter along the beach, Carol also oversees the nearby sanctuary and runs her own equine retreats on request. — Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026

Emma was a successful show pony who took part in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. — Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026

The internal combustion engine now brings 691 horsepower to the party courtesy of a 3-psi bump in boost, while the electric motor adds another 178 ponies. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably from obsolete French poulenet, diminutive of French poulain colt, from Old French pulain, perhaps from Medieval Latin pullamen young animal, from Latin pullus — more at foal

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pony

• cow pony
• dog and pony show
• one-trick pony
• pony express
• pony up
• Shetland pony
• Welsh mountain pony
• Welsh pony

Rhymes for pony

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

pony

noun

po·​ny ˈpō-nē 

plural ponies

1

: a small horse

especially : a horse of any of several breeds of very small compact animals

2

: a word-for-word translation of a foreign language text