canter

1 of 3

noun (1)

cant·er ˈkan-tər

Synonyms of canter

: one who uses cant: such as

: beggar, vagabond

: a user of professional or religious cant

canter

2 of 3

verb

can·ter ˈkan-tər

cantered; cantering; canters

intransitive verb

: to move at or as if at a canter : lope

: to ride a horse at a canter

transitive verb

: to cause to go at a canter

canter

3 of 3

noun (2)

can·ter ˈkan-tər

: a 3-beat gait resembling but smoother and slower than the gallop

: a ride at a canter

Examples of canter in a Sentence

Verb The horses cantered across the grass. We cantered off toward the lake.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Noun

In a flash, 64 paws canter past in unison to be met by cheers. — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2025 Try your hand at landing a catch in the private waters, or take a picnic brunch in a secluded meadow after an easy canter. — Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 19 June 2026

Verb

The horses were draped in colorful Hermès scarves and cantered around the plaza in front of the guests. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025 As seen in a viral video shared on X, Princess Anne steered Noble forward when the horse started throwing his head and cantering in place. — Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 17 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for canter

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of canter was in 1609

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Canter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canter. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

canter

1 of 2 noun

can·ter

ˈkant-ər

: a three-beat gait of a horse resembling but smoother and slower than the gallop

canter

2 of 2 verb

: to go or cause to go at a canter

canter

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

Examples of canter in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

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canter

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

Examples of canter in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for canter

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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