gait

American  

[geyt] / geɪt /

noun

• gaits
  plural

1. a manner of walking, stepping, or running.

   Synonyms:

   carriage, bearing, stride, step, walk

2. any of the manners in which a horse moves, as a walk, trot, canter, gallop, or rack.

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verb (used with object)

1. to teach a specified gait or gaits to (a horse).

gait British  

/ ɡeɪt /

noun

1. manner of walking or running; bearing

2. (used esp of horses and dogs) the pattern of footsteps at various speeds, as the walk, trot, canter, etc, each pattern being distinguished by a particular rhythm and footfall

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verb

1. (tr) to teach (a horse) a particular gait

Usage

What does gait mean? Gait means the way a person or animal walks or runs. Gait is often used in the context of horses and show dogs when analyzing how they walk, trot, and run. The human gait is studied in medicine and in sports like running. Gait can also be used as a verb meaning to teach a horse a particular gait. Example: You can tell that his gait is affected by a limp.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gaits
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gait

1500–10; Scots, Middle English spelling variant of gate ¹ in various senses

Explanation

Some people have a very distinct gait, or manner of walking or running, which allows you to recognize them from far away. Walking with two legs is a pretty straightforward task, so most of us (with the exception of runners) don’t think about our own gait very often. However, when four legs are involved, the definition of gait becomes more complex. In horseback riding, gait is used to refer to the particular sequence or pattern of footsteps that the horse is using. Well-known gaits include the trot, the gallop, and the canter.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gait gaits

Surprisingly, this discovery about a horse’s gait sheds light on a much more modern debate—whether A.I. is on a path to consciousness.

From Slate ● May 25, 2026

What isn’t yet known, Nieman says, is whether hearing aids can improve gait and walking speed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

Mind-body approaches likely improved short term function, while neuromotor training likely boosted short term gait performance.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 30, 2026

The bounce in his gait had gone, the speed of his stride had slowed.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026

The boy, slightly chubby, healthy-looking, also ran toward the American doctor, though with an odd, waddle-like gait.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Dressage is the oldest equestrian discipline, and sees rider and horse perform a series of movements to music across the gaits of walk, trot and canter.

From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2024

Some correspond to familiar gaits of quadrupeds, such as walking, trotting, or hopping.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2024

Atlantic puffins — clownish seabirds with colorful bills and waddling gaits — had their second consecutive rebound year for fledging chicks after suffering a catastrophic 2021, said scientists who monitor the birds.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 29, 2023

With their bobbing heads, clumsy gaits and dull-sounding "coo" noises, pigeons are often mistaken for being downright stupid pests.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2023

He began to recognize sounds as he had done before, and to associate footsteps and differing gaits with the people to whom they belonged.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

Related Words

• bearing