po·ny / ˈpōnē/ • n. (pl. -nies) 1. a horse of a small breed, esp. one whose height at the withers is below 14 hands 2 inches (58 inches). ∎  (the ponies) inf. racehorses: he had been playing the ponies on the side.2. inf. a small drinking glass or the drink contained in it: a pony of vodka.3. a literal translation of a foreign-language text, used illicitly by students; a trot.4. Brit., inf. twenty-five pounds sterling.• v. (-nies, -nied) [intr.] (pony up) inf. pay (money), esp. as a contribution or an unavoidable expense: getting ready to pony up for their children’s college education.

pony Pony Express (in the US) a system of mail delivery operating from 1860–1 between St Joseph in Missouri and Sacramento in California, using continuous relays of horse riders. Buffalo Bill ( William Cody) was one of its riders.

See also dog and pony show.

pony Any of several breeds of small horses, usually solid and stocky. They are commonly used as children's saddle horses, for show and for draught. Types include the hardy Shetland pony; the Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies of Cornwall, Somerset and Devon; the grey Highland pony; the Welsh pony; and the Welsh Cob. Height: 115–145cm (45–57in) at the shoulder.

pony XVII. orig. Sc. pown(e)y, of uncert. orig.; perh. for *poulney — F. poulenet, dim. of poulain foal:- late L. pullāmen, orig. coll. f. L. pullus young animal (cf. FOAL).