1. tell (someone) repeatedly to do something:British"the plan is to chivvy us all into eating less and exercising more"
Word Originlate 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).
