1. Domestic beast of burden descended from the African wild ass; patient but stubborn
   "The donkey refused to cross the stream";
   - domestic ass, Equus asinus, ass, moke [Brit, informal]
    
2. [informal] A stupid incompetent person
   "He's a bit of a donkey, but who in management isn't?";
   - dimwit [informal], nitwit [informal], half-wit [informal], doofus [N. Amer, informal], numpty [UK, informal], yo-yo [N. Amer, informal], noodle [informal], nellie [informal], dingleberry [US, informal], nelly [informal], dufus [N. Amer, informal], simp [N. Amer, informal]
    
3. [US] The symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
   "The donkey was prominently displayed at the Democratic National Convention"

Derived forms: donkeys

Type of: allegory, ass, emblem, simple [archaic], simpleton

Part of: Equus, genus Equus

Encyclopedia: Donkey, Bird and Rocks