Adjacent Words

Prance definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PR`ANCE, v.i. prans.
1. To spring or bound, as a horse in high mettle.
Now rule thy prancing steed.
2. To ride with bounding movements; to ride ostentatiously.
Th' insulting tyrant prancing o'er the field.
3. To walk or strut about in a showy manner or with warlike parade.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a proud stiff pompous gait [syn: strut, prance, swagger] v
1: to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others; "He struts around like a rooster in a hen house" [syn: tittup, swagger, ruffle, prance, strut, sashay, cock]
2: spring forward on the hind legs; "The young horse was prancing in the meadow"
3: cause (a horse) to bound spring forward
4: ride a horse such that it springs and bounds forward

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (pranced; prancing) Etymology: Middle English prauncen Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to spring from the hind legs or move by so doing 2. to ride on a prancing horse 3. to walk or move in a spirited manner ; strut; also to dance about transitive verb to cause (a horse) to prance • prancer noun II. noun Date: 1751 an act or instance of prancing; specifically a prancing movement

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.intr. 1 (of a horse) raise the forelegs and spring from the hind legs. 2 (often foll. by about) walk or behave in an elated or arrogant manner. --n. 1 the act of prancing. 2 a prancing movement. Derivatives: prancer n. Etymology: ME: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prance Prance, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Pranced; p. pr. & vb. n. Prancing.] [OE. prauncen; probably akin to prank, v. t. See Prank.] 1. To spring or bound, as a horse in high mettle. Now rule thy prancing steed. --Gay. 2. To ride on a prancing horse; to ride in an ostentatious manner. The insulting tyrant prancing o'er the field. --Addison. 3. To walk or strut about in a pompous, showy manner, or with warlike parade. --Swift.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(prances, prancing, pranced) 1. If someone prances around, they walk or move around with exaggerated movements, usually because they want people to look at them and admire them. He was horrified at the thought of his son prancing about on a stage in tights. VERB: V adv/prep [disapproval] 2. When a horse prances, it moves with quick, high steps. Their horses pranced and whinnied. ...as the carriage horses pranced through the bustling thoroughfares. ...a prancing light-footed mare named Princess. VERB: V, V prep/adv, V-ing

Moby Thesaurus

amble, barge, bob, bounce, bound, bowl along, bundle, canter, caper, capriole, caracole, cavort, clog, clump, curvet, cut a dido, cut capers, dance, dido, drag, droop, falcade, flounce, foot, footslog, fox-trot, frisk, gait, gallop, gambade, gambado, gambol, go on horseback, hack, halt, hippety-hop, hitch, hobble, hoof, hop, jog, jolt, jump, jump about, leap, limp, lock step, lope, lumber, lunge, lurch, mince, mincing steps, mount, pace, paddle, peacock, peg, piaffe, piaffer, plod, rack, ramp, ride bareback, ride hard, roll, romp, sashay, saunter, scuff, scuffle, scuttle, shake, shamble, shimmy, shuffle, sidle, single-foot, skip, slink, slither, slog, slouch, slowness, spring, stagger, stalk, stamp, step, stomp, straddle, straggle, stride, stroll, strolling gait, strut, stump, swagger, swank, swash, swashbuckle, swing, take horse, tap-dance, tittup, toddle, totter, traipse, tread, trip, trot, trudge, velocity, waddle, walk, waltz, wamble, wiggle, wobble