trot
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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(of a horse) to go at a gait between a walk and a run, in which the legs move in diagonal pairs, but not quite simultaneously, so that when the movement is slow one foot at least is always on the ground, and when fast all four feet are momentarily off the ground at once.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to trot.
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to ride (a horse) at a trot.
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to lead at a trot.
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to travel over by trotting.
to spend the day trotting the country byways.
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to execute by trotting.
noun
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the gait of a horse, dog, or other quadruped, when trotting.
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the sound made by an animal when trotting.
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the jogging gait of a human being, between a walk and a run.
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Harness Racing. a race for trotters.
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brisk, continuous movement or activity.
I've been on the trot all afternoon.
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Archaic: Disparaging. an old woman.
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Slang. a literal translation used illicitly in doing schoolwork; crib; pony.
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Informal. the trots, diarrhea.
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Informal. a toddling child.
verb phrase
verb
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to move or cause to move at a trot
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angling to fish (a fast-moving stream or river) by using a float and weighted line that carries the baited hook just above the bottom
noun
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a gait of a horse or other quadruped, faster than a walk, in which diagonally opposite legs come down together See also jog trot rising trot sitting trot
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a steady brisk pace
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(in harness racing) a race for horses that have been trained to trot fast
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angling
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one of the short lines attached to a trotline
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the trotline
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informal a run of luck
a good trot
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a small child; tot
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slang a student's crib
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informal
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one after the other
to read two books on the trot
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busy, esp on one's feet
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informal
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diarrhoea
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trotting races
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noun
Sensitive Note
The meaning “old woman” is archaic, used with disparaging intent especially in contexts where the woman is regarded as mean, ugly, etc.
Other Word Forms
- untrotted adjective
Etymology
Origin of trot1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb trotten, trot(te), from Middle French trot(t)er, from Germanic; akin to Old High German trottōn “to tread,” Middle High German trotten “to run”; noun derivative of the verb
Origin of trot2
First recorded in 1880–85; short for trotline
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Yes, sir,” I said and started at a trot for the house.
From Literature
He bellowed and jumped right up and started trotting down the path, with me hanging on him sideways.
From Literature
This traditional South Korean music genre gets its name from the American "foxtrot", which shares the trot's distinctive two-beat rhythm.
From BBC
The Cleveland Cavaliers won their seventh game on the trot, beating the Charlotte Hornets 118-113.
From Barron's
As Fennell trots along Brontë’s tentpoles, she dusts the narrative between these plot points with sensational set pieces and eye-popping costumes.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
