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chivvy

Pronunciation: /ˈtʃɪvi/
(also chivy)
Definition of chivvy

verb (chivvies, chivvying, chivvied)

[with object] chiefly British
  • tell (someone) repeatedly to do something:an association which chivvies government into action

Origin:

late 18th century: probably from the ballad Chevy Chase, celebrating a skirmish (probably the battle of Otterburn, 1388) on the Scottish border. Originally a noun denoting a hunting cry, the term later meant 'a pursuit', hence the verb 'to chase, worry' (mid 19th century)

chivvy in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of chivvy in the US English dictionary
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