capriole Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun (dressage) a vertical jump of a trained horse with a kick of the hind legs at the top of the jump
  2. noun a playful leap or hop
    caper.
  3. verb perform a capriole, of horses in dressage
  4. verb perform a capriole, in ballet

WordNet

Cap"ri*ole noun
Etymology
F. capriole, cabriole, It. capriola, fr. L. caper goat. Cf. Caper, v. i. Cabriole, Caprice, Cheveril.
Definitions
  1. (Man.) A leap that a horse makes with all fours, upwards only, without advancing, but with a kick or jerk of the hind legs when at the height of the leap.
  2. A leap or caper, as in dancing. "With lofty turns and caprioles." Sir J. Davies.
Cap"ri*ole intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To perform a capriole. Carlyle.

Webster 1913