n. [ OE. coning, conig, coni, OF. connin, conin, connil, fr. L. cuniculus a rabbit, cony, prob. an Hispanic word. ] [ Written also coney. ] 1. (Zool.) (a) A rabbit, esp., the European rabbit (Lepus cuniculus). (b) The chief hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The cony of Scripture is thought to be Hyrax Syriacus, called also daman, and cherogril. See Daman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A simpleton. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It is a most simple animal; whence are derived our usual phrases of cony and cony catcher. Diet's Dry Dinner (1599). [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) (a) An important edible West Indian fish (Epinephelus apua); the hind of Bermuda. (b) A local name of the burbot. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To deceive; to cheat; to trick. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Take heed, Signor Baptista, lest you be cony-catched in the this business. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cheat; a sharper; a deceiver. [ Obs. ] Minsheu. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Conine + acetylene. ] An oily substance, C8H14, obtained from several derivatives of conine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Conine. ] (Chem.) A blue, fluorescent, oily base (regarded as a derivative of pyridine), obtained from conine. [ 1913 Webster ]