tittup

noun

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tit·tup | \ ˈti-təp

Definition of tittup

(Entry 1 of 2)

: lively, gay, or restless behavior

tittup

verb

tittupped or tittuped; tittupping or tittuping

Definition of tittup (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to move in a lively manner often with an exaggerated or affected action

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Verb

Tittup has been used as noun naming an imitation of the sound of horses' hooves moving at a pace between a canter and a gallop since as early as 1703. The rhythmic sound and bounce of such movement was infectious enough to lead people to apply the word to other bouncy gaits, and to lively or restless behavior in general. Tittup was first used as a verb in 1785. In 1862, William Makepeace Thackeray recalled the word's equine origins when he wrote of a magnificent horse dancing, and tittupping. The word is not common today, but it does see occasional use, especially in British sources.