pony

Meanings

Noun

• A small horse; any of several small breeds of horse under 14.2 hands at the withers.
• a contraption built like a mount, strong enough to support one's weight
• A small serving of an alcoholic beverage, especially beer.
• A serving of 140 millilitres of beer (formerly 5 fl oz); a quarter pint.
• Twenty-five pounds sterling.
• A translation used as a study aid; loosely, a crib, a cheat-sheet.
• A ponytail hairstyle.
• One horsepower.
• A chorus girl of small stature.
• Crap; rubbish, nonsense.

Verb

• To lead (a horse) from another horse.
• To use a crib or cheat-sheet in translating.

Adjective

• Of little worth.

Related

Similar words

• horseling (small horse)
• buck (mount)

Origin

• 1659 from Scots powny, apparently from Middle French poulenet, ultimately from Late Latin pullanus, from pullus (cognate to English foal). Sense “small serving of alcohol” from 19th century, both for small sizes generally and for a quarter pint specifically, from the small size.Notes and Queries, August 8th, 1896, : “It seems probable the origin is due to the diminutiveness of the glass;”
  
• “The expression ‘a pony of beer’ is often used in South Wales for a small glass containing about the fourth of a pint.”
• Short form of pony and trap rhyming with crap.