canter

Meanings

Noun

• A gait of a horse between a trot and a gallop, consisting of three beats and a "suspension" phase, where there are no feet on the ground. Also describing this gait on other four legged animals.
• A ride on a horse at such speed.
• One who cants or whines; a beggar.
• One who makes hypocritical pretensions to goodness; one who uses canting language.

Verb

• To move at such pace.
• To cause to move at a canter; to ride (a horse) at a canter.

Origin

• Short for Canterbury pace, from the supposed easy pace of medieval pilgrims to Canterbury.
• cant + -er