gait

1 of 2

noun

1
: a manner of walking or moving on foot
2
: a sequence of foot movements (such as a walk, trot, pace, or canter) by which a horse or a dog moves forward
3
: a manner or rate of movement or progress
the leisurely gait of summer

gait

2 of 2

verb

gaited; gaiting; gaits

transitive verb

1
: to train (a horse or a dog) to use a particular gait or set of gaits (see gait entry 1 sense 2)
2
: to lead (a show dog) before a judge to display carriage and movement

intransitive verb

: to walk with a particular gait (see gait entry 1 sense 1)

Examples of gait in a Sentence

Noun They were orthopedic shoes built around molds of my feet, and they had a 2 1/4-inch lift.  … they had given me a more or less even gait for the first time in 10 years. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times Magazine, 9 Dec. 1990
Interaction with the horse takes place on several levels. Physical communication is foremost. You learn its body language and it learns to respond to a body language you use to ask for changes in gait, direction, and body frame. Maxine Kumin, In Deep, 1987
How many prose writers can you identify from their style? Not many have that singular emanation from the temperament or those combinations of words all of them characteristic for a certain gait, a certain tone, a certain idiosyncratic consecutiveness of thought and image. Paul West, New York Times Book Review, 15 Dec. 1985
He walked with an odd gait, a kind of shuffle, pushing his feet along the floor without lifting them. E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, (1974) 1975
They walked on with the same light gait, so nearly of a height that keeping step came as naturally to them as breathing. Edith Wharton, The Reef, 1912
He has an awkward gait. Verb Patricia Craige, who has guided Norwegian elkhounds to the final at Westminster eight times, gaited Ch. Vin-Melca's Bombardier to breed honors. Walter R. Fletcher, New York Times, 13 Feb. 1991
As he watched the flashy dogs gaiting in the rings, he knew in his heart that he wanted to show dogs. Seeing the different breeds was thrilling. Jacqueline Fraser, Dog Fancy, Sept. 1991
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Scientists believe the extinct species to be the first hominin to have left Africa and walk with a fully upright gait. Katie Hunt, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 When the police released a surveillance video, Review-Journal photographer Kevin Cannon immediately noticed something the big hat and orange reflective shirt couldn't hide: the man's walk; his gait. Megan Brown, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2024 The president’s confusion at public events, failing memory, verbal miscues, and stiff gait all indicate serious physical and cognitive decline. The Editors, National Review, 12 Feb. 2024 The instructions the brain is trying to send to the body struggle to get through, resulting in the characteristic tremors, rigidity, and freezing of gait seen in sufferers. Amit Katwala, WIRED, 8 Feb. 2024 Go Run is a by-runners, for-runners shop that will set you up with the right shoes for you by measuring your gait and talking to you about your form. Priscilla Blossom, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 This helps strengthen foot muscles, improve performance, and support a more natural running gait. Sarah Kester, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2024 Those who survive may suffer from temporary or permanent deafness, in addition to transient hair loss and gait disturbance. Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 12 Jan. 2024 Walking speed is gaining traction as a vital sign Your gait speed could provide critical information about physical and mental health risks. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
Strengthening your back and your core works to keep your spine supported, and that affects everything from standing posture to gait, balance, and even joint health. SELF, 25 Mar. 2022 The training club helps handlers get their dogs comfortable with stacking (physically placed in their proper stance) and gaiting (lapping around the show ring to show judges their trot). Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gait.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

originally spelling variant of gate entry 3

Verb

derivative of gait entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1900, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gait was in 1509

Dictionary Entries Near gait

Cite this Entry

“Gait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gait. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gait

noun
ˈgāt
: a manner of moving on foot
also : a particular style of such movement
the gait of a horse
gaited
-əd
adjective

Medical Definition

gait

noun
1
: a manner of walking or moving on foot
2
: a sequence of foot movements (as a walk, trot, pace, or canter) by which a horse or a dog moves forward
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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