canter Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a smooth three-beat gait; between a trot and a gallop
    lope.
  2. verb ride at a canter
    • The men cantered away
  3. verb go at a canter, of horses
  4. verb ride at a cantering pace
    • He cantered the horse across the meadow

WordNet

Can"ter noun
Etymology
An abbreviation of Caner bury. See Canterbury gallop, under Canterbury.
Definitions
  1. A moderate and easy gallop adapted to pleasure riding. ✍ The canter is a thoroughly artificial pace, at first extremely tiring to the horse, and generally only to be produced in him by the restraint of a powerful bit, which compels him to throw a great part of his weight on his haunches . . . There is so great a variety in the mode adopted by different horses for performing the canter, that no single description will suffice, nor indeed is it easy . . . to define any one of them. J. H. Walsh.
  2. A rapid or easy passing over.
    A rapid canter in the Times over all the topics. Sir J. Stephen.
Can"ter intransitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Cantered ; present participle & verbal noun Cantering
Definitions
  1. To move in a canter.
Can"ter transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To cause, as a horse, to go at a canter; to ride (a horse) at a canter.
Cant"er noun
Definitions
  1. One who cants or whines; a beggar.
  2. One who makes hypocritical pretensions to goodness; one who uses canting language.
    The day when he was a canter and a rebel. Macaulay.

Webster 1913