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chiv·vy or chiv·y

(chĭvē)

v. chiv·vied, chiv·vy·ing, chiv·vies or chiv·ied or chiv·y·ing or chiv·ies

v.tr.

1. To vex or harass with petty attacks: political opponents who chivvied the senator.

2. To maneuver or secure gradually: "had spent two weeks chivvying this division toward combat readiness" (Tom Clancy).

v.intr.

To scurry.

n. pl. chiv·vies or chiv·ies

1. A hunt or chase.

2. A hunting cry.

[Variant of chevy, a hunt, hunting cry, from Chevy Chase, title of a ballad about a border skirmish, from Cheviot Chase, a large unenclosed hunting tract in the Cheviot Hills.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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