capriole
Americannoun
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a caper or leap.
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Manège. a movement in which the horse jumps up with its forelegs well drawn in, kicks out with its hind legs in a horizontal position in the air, and then lands again on the same spot.
verb (used without object)
noun
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dressage a high upward but not forward leap made by a horse with all four feet off the ground
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dancing a leap from bent knees
verb
Etymology
Origin of capriole
1570–80; < Middle French < Italian capriola, noun derivative of capriolare to leap, caper, verbal derivative of capri ( u ) olo roebuck < Latin capreolus, equivalent to capre ( a ) roe deer (derivative of caper male goat; cf. caper 1) + -olus -ole 1
Explanation
A capriole is a playful jump or leap. In dressage, it's an advanced leap that a highly trained horse performs. While performing a capriole, a horse jumps straight up into the air, pulling its front legs in toward its chest, and kicking its back legs out parallel to the ground. This classical — and very impressive! — equestrian feat probably evolved from techniques that warhorses were trained to do in medieval times. The word capriole comes from the Italian word capriolare, which means "to leap like a goat." It is often used to describe leaping about joyfully, as a child or a young goat might do. In ballet, a graceful, leaping capriole — more often spelled as cabriole — is an energetic, kicking leap.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Institutional buyers are seen driving these strong flows, according to Charles Edwards of Capriole Investments, institutions are buying up nearly 600% of the daily mined bitcoin supply.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
That would have to go to restaurateur John Capriole who named his sandwich shop Dharma Buns Sandwich Co. after Kerouac's novel "The Dharma Bums."
From Inc • Sep. 29, 2010
Capriole, kap′ri-ōl, n. a caper: a leap without advancing.—v.i. to leap: to caper.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
