canter
1 of 3noun (1)
cant·er ˈkan-tər 
: one who uses cant: such as
a
: beggar, vagabond
b
: a user of professional or religious cant
canter
2 of 3verb
can·ter ˈkan-tər
cantered; cantering; canters
intransitive verb
1
: to move at or as if at a canter : lope
2
: to ride a horse at a canter
transitive verb
: to cause to go at a canter
canter
3 of 3noun (2)
can·ter ˈkan-tər
1
: a 3-beat gait resembling but smoother and slower than the gallop
2
: a ride at a canter
Example Sentences
Verb The horses cantered across the grass. We cantered off toward the lake.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
short for obsolete canterbury, noun (canter), from Canterbury, England; from the supposed gait of pilgrims riding to Canterbury
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1609, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1706, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
canter 1 of 2
noun
can·ter ˈkan-tər
: a horse's gait resembling but slower than a gallop
canter
2 of 2verb
cantered; cantering
: to run with a movement that resembles but is slower than a gallop
Below he saw the Black cantering along the beach.
Walter Farley, The Black Stallion
Walter Farley, The Black Stallioncantering
verb
as in loping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- loping
- trotting
- galloping
- bounding
- leaping
- skipping
- springing
- sprinting
- scampering
- jogging
- shagging
- dashing
- tripping
- hurrying
- racing
- speeding
- haring
- coursing
- rushing
- humping
- barreling
- careening
- hurtling
- blazing
- zipping
- hastening
- running
- zooming
- tearing
- bolting
- belting
- rustling
- scooting
- hying
- breezing
- jetting
- bowling
- hurling
- whirling
- whisking
- hustling
- ripping
- blowing
- barrelling
- bustling
- buzzing
- blasting
- rocketing
- ramming
- pelting
- hieing
- cannonballing
- shooting
- scurrying
- pattering
- nipping
- scuttling
- bombing
- hotfooting (it)
- legging (it)
- footing (it)
- hoofing (it)
- stepping (along)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- strolling
- ambling
- sauntering
- shuffling
- dragging
- shambling
- creeping
- crawling
- dawdling
- lingering
- poking
- lagging
- loitering
- trudging
- dallying
- plodding
- tarrying
- limping
- hobbling
- lumbering
- dillydallying