trot

1 of 4

verb

trotted; trotting

intransitive verb

1
: to ride, drive, or proceed at a trot
the fox trotted over the knoll
2
: to proceed briskly : hurry

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)

: an adherent of Trotskyism : trotskyist, trotskyite

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Instead, Sanders and AOC have been trotting across the U.S. Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 15 Apr. 2025 The footage showed two black cows and one brown cow trotting together on the freeway as a driver and their passenger rolled down the window to film. Angel Saunders, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
Harness racing features Standardbred horses that race at a trot or pace, reaching speeds of up to 40 miles per hour in exciting one-mile races. William Jones, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025 Luna wants to advance the base of possession, represented here by Weston McKennie’s trot around an opponent into an open lane. Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trot

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of trot was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trot. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

trot

1 of 2 noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on trot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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