canter

1 of 3

noun (1)

cant·​er ˈkan-tər 

: one who uses cant: such as

a

: beggar, vagabond

b

: a user of professional or religious cant

canter

2 of 3

verb

can·​ter ˈkan-tər 

cantered; cantering; canters

intransitive verb

1

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

2

: 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 

1

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

2

: 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

Noun

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

Norway won all eight of their qualifying group games to book their place in the tournament at a canter, including two against Italy. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 16 June 2026

Verb

Fulham cantered to the Second Division title, racking up a club-record 101 points to earn a second promotion in three seasons. — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026

In Virginia, Spanberger cantered to victory by almost 15 points. — Niall Stanage, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for canter

• banter
• cantor
• chanter
• granter
• grantor
• plantar
• planter
• tranter
• decanter
• enchanter
• trochanter

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