noun

• (by extension)
  "Like when you quail huntin' and it's getting dark and you can hear the boss bird whistlin' tryin' to get the covey together again, and he's coming toward you slow and whistlin' soft, cause he knows you somewhere around with your gun."
• (by extension)
  "[T]here is not a better Spanniell in England to spring a couie of queanes than Martin."

verb

• (intransitive) To gather into a group.
  "Our fortunes and our ſelves, are things ſo cloſely linked, that vve knovv not vvhich is the cauſe of the love that vve finde, vvhen theſe tvvo ſhall part, vve may then diſcover to vvhich of them affection vvill make vvinge; vvhen they are covied together vve knovv not vvhich is in purſuit; vvhen they riſe and breake, vve ſhall then ſee vvhich is aimed at."

noun

• (British, familiar, slang, dated) A male person, a man; a chap, a chappie.
  "I don't know what would become of these here young chaps, if it wasn't for such careful old coveys as we are— […]"