canter

• IPA^(key): /ˈkæntə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -æntə(ɹ)

Short for Canterbury pace, from the supposed easy pace of medieval pilgrims to Canterbury.

canter (plural canters)

1. 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.
2. A ride on a horse at such speed.

canter (third-person singular simple present canters, present participle cantering, simple past and past participle cantered)

1. (intransitive) To move at such pace.
2. (transitive) To cause to move at a canter; to ride (a horse) at a canter.

• in a canter, at a canter

cant +‎ -er

canter (plural canters)

1. One who cants or whines; a beggar.
2. One who makes hypocritical pretensions to goodness; one who uses canting language.
   • Macaulay

     The day when he was a canter and a rebel.

   • 1974, Bill Wannan, With Malice Aforethought, page 85:

     From lawn-sleeved ranters to kerbstone canters, From bishops to Army lasses.

• Cretan, carnet, centra, creant, nectar, recant, tanrec, trance

canter

1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of canto

canter

1. (nautical) to list
2. (reflexive) to lean

Latin cantō.

canter

1. (Northern dialect) Alternative form of chanter
   • circa 1170, Wace, Le Roman de Rou:

     Li Eveske canta la messe

     The bishop performed mass

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-ts, *-tt are modified to z, t. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

From Old French canter, northern variant of Old French chanter, from Vulgar Latin *cantō.

canter

1. to sing

   Ej vouroè prinde ed ches lchons por aprinde à canter conme i feut.

   I would like to take some lessons to learn to sing correctly.