trot

1 of 4

verb

ˈträt 

trotted; trotting

intransitive verb

1

: to ride, drive, or proceed at a trot

the fox trotted over the knoll

2

a

: to proceed briskly : hurry

She trotted off to find help.

b

: to run at a slow, steady pace

The batter trotted around the bases after hitting a homer.

transitive verb

1

: to cause to go at a trot

2

: to traverse at a trot

trot

2 of 4

noun (1)

1

a(1)

: a moderately fast gait of a quadruped (such as a horse) in which the legs move in diagonal pairs

(2)

: a jogging gait of a human that falls between a walk and a run

b

: a ride on horseback

2

trots plural : diarrhea

—used with the

3

: an old woman

4

: a literal translation of a foreign text

trot

3 of 4

noun (2)

: trotline

also : one of the short lines with hooks that are attached to a trotline at intervals

Trot

4 of 4

noun (3)

ˈträt 

: an adherent of Trotskyism : trotskyist, trotskyite

Synonyms of trot

Verb

• jog
• run
• gallop

Noun (1)

• hag
• witch

Examples of trot in a Sentence

Verb

A horse trotted past us.

The batter trotted around the bases after hitting a home run.

She trotted off to help.

The little boy trotted along after his mother.

Noun (1)

a gossipy old trot who never had a good word to say about anyone

ate something that gave us the trots

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Jeon Do-yeon, who plays the family’s matriarch, is colorfully slinky as a globe-trotting party widow, a vain, compulsively seductive narcissist who macks on her daughters’ men like a Real Housewife given a villain’s edit. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2026

Just after the sun melted into the sea a deer trotted by, followed by its more nervous baby. — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Noun

Followin much teasing, Oasis will embark on an additional 2027 tour hitting stops once again in the United Kingdom and United States, but also Europe, which was omitted during last year’s trot. — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026

As the left field bullpen doors swung open before the start of the ninth inning, Chicago Cubs right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn began his trot to the mound with one thought. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from troter to trot, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German trottōn to tread, Old English tredan

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun (2)

1883, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1962, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing trot

• fox trot
• hot to trot
• jog trot
• on the trot
• trot out
• turkey trot

Rhymes for trot

• aught
• baht
• blot
• bott
• bought
• brought
• caught
• clot
• cot
• cott
• dot
• fought

Kids Definition

trot

1 of 2 noun

ˈträt 

1

: a moderately fast gait of a four-footed animal (as a horse) in which a front foot and the opposite hind foot move at the same time

2

: a human jogging pace between a walk and a run

trot

2 of 2 verb

trotted; trotting

1

: to ride, drive, go, or cause to go at a trot

2

: to go along quickly : hurry