the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
"The donkey has long been used as a political symbol to represent the Democratic Party, a tradition that began when cartoonist Thomas Nast drew it in 1874."
domestic beast of burden descended from the African wild ass; patient but stubborn
"The old farmer used his donkey to carry heavy bags of grain up the steep hill, relying on its steady endurance despite its occasional stubborn refusal to turn."
A domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar to a horse.
"The farmer led his tired donkey into the barn after a long day of carrying water buckets."
In plain English: A donkey is a sturdy animal with long ears that people often use to carry things or pull carts.
"We rented a donkey to help us carry our heavy luggage up the hill."
Usage: Use this term when referring specifically to the sturdy equine that is smaller and more compact than a horse but shares its general shape. It often appears in idioms describing stubbornness or hard work rather than just the animal itself.
The origin of "donkey" is uncertain, but it likely began as a slang term in the late 1700s referring to a small brownish-grey horse. It may have been formed by combining words for that specific horse color with diminutive suffixes, or perhaps derived from the name Duncan.