canter
American Heritage Dictionary:
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can·ter
(kăn'tər) 
n.
A smooth gait, especially of a horse, that is slower than a gallop but faster than a trot.
v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters. v.intr.
To cause (a horse) to go at a canter.
n.
A smooth gait, especially of a horse, that is slower than a gallop but faster than a trot.
v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters. v.intr.
- To ride a horse at a canter.
- To go or move at a canter.
To cause (a horse) to go at a canter.
[Ultimately from phrases such as Canterbury gallop, after CANTERBURY, England, toward which pilgrims rode at an easy pace.]
WORD HISTORY Most of those who have majored in English literature, and many more besides, know that Chaucer's Canterbury Tales were told by a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury to visit the shrine of England's famous martyr Thomas à Becket. Many pilgrims other than Chaucer's visited Canterbury on horse, and phrases such as Canterbury gallop, Canterbury pace, and Canterbury trot described the easy gait at which they rode to their destination. The first recorded instance of one of these phrases, Canterbury pace, is found in a work published before 1636. However, in a work written in 1631 we find a shortened form, the noun Canterbury, meaning "a canter," and later, in 1673, the verb Canterbury, meaning "to canter." This verb, or perhaps the noun, was further shortened, giving us the verb canter, first recorded in 1706, and the noun canter, first recorded in 1755.
Word Tutor:
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canter
IN BRIEF: A gait of a horse that is smoother but slower than a gallop.
Please make the horse go into a canter as you reach the top of the hill.
Tutor's tip: The "cantor" (church choir leader) pushed his horse to a "canter" (a horse's gait between a trot and a gallop).
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A gallop at an easy pace. The rhythm is three-time, first one hind, then the opposite hind with the diagonal fore, then the opposite fore, the leading limb.
- collected c. — the same action as a canter or gallop but at a very slow pace usually with the head carried high, with almost exaggerated movements but little forward progress, ideal for the showring.
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'canter'
- Gaits - canter: move with a three-beat gait, easier than a gallop, used esp. of horses
See crossword solutions for the clue Translations:
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Canter
Dansk (Danish)
n. - kort galop
v. intr. - ride kort galop
v. tr. - løbe i kort galop
Nederlands (Dutch)
in korte galop rijden/ brengen, handgalop
Français (French)
n. - petit galop, centre d'entraînement, (fig) haut-la-main
v. intr. - faire un petit galop, galoper
v. tr. - mettre au petit galop
Deutsch (German)
v. - leicht galoppieren
n. - Mittelgalopp
Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - κινούμαι/καλπάζω άνετα
n. - υποκριτής, ελαφρός καλπασμός, τριποδισμός
Italiano (Italian)
andare al trotto, trottare, trotto
Português (Portuguese)
v. - andar a cavalo a meio galope
n. - meio galope (m)
Русский (Russian)
скакать легким галопом, легкий галоп
Español (Spanish)
n. - medio galope
v. intr. - ir a medio galope
v. tr. - ir a medio galope
Svenska (Swedish)
v. - rida i samlad galopp
n. - samlad galopp, hycklare
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
慢跑, 流浪汉, 使慢跑
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 慢跑, 流浪漢
v. intr. - 慢跑
v. tr. - 使慢跑
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 느린 구보
v. intr. - 느린 구보로 나아가다
v. tr. - 느린 구보로 나아가게 하다
日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 普通駆け足で乗る, ゆっくり駆けさせる
n. - 普通駆け足, 偽善者
العربيه (Arabic)
(فعل) خب, جرى بسرعه معتدله, خبب الحصان (الاسم) خبب
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - דהירה קלה, דהרור
v. intr. - דהר דהירה קלה (סוס או רוכב), דהרר
v. tr. - הדהיר דהרה קלה, דהרר
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