covey(名词):(尤指鹧鸪、鹌鹑等)一群;引申也可指(人)一小群、一伙。(另有较少见用法:一组/一套事物。)
/ˈkʌvi/
A covey of quail ran into the bushes.
一群鹌鹑跑进了灌木丛。
At dawn, a covey of partridges burst from the stubble field, their wings drumming the cold air as the hunter stood still and listened.
黎明时,一群鹧鸪突然从收割后的田地里冲起,翅膀拍打着寒冷的空气,猎人一动不动地站着倾听。
covey 源自中古法语 covee/covée,与“孵化、育雏”的概念有关,最初常指“同一窝孵出的幼鸟(的一群)”,后来意义扩展为“(鸟类)一群”,再引申到人或事物的“小团体”。