When workmen strive to do better than well,
They do confound their skill in covetousness.
Shak.
2. A strong or inordinate desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good; excessive desire for riches or money; -- in a bad sense.
Covetousness, by a greed of getting more, deprivess itself of the true end of getting.
Sprat.
Syn. -- Avarice; cupidity; eagerness.
Cov"ey (k?v"?), n. [OF. cov&?;e, F. couv&?;e, fr. cover, F. couver, to sit or brood on, fr. L. cubare to lie down; cf. E. incubate. See Cubit, and cf. Cove to brood.] 1. A brood or hatch of birds; an old bird with her brood of young; hence, a small flock or number of birds together; -- said of game; as, a covey of partridges. Darwin.