canter

¹ American  

[kan-ter] / ˈkæn tər /

noun

1. an easy gallop.

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verb (used with or without object)

canters, present (3rd person singular) cantered, past participle, past cantering present participle

1. to move or ride at a canter.

canter ² American  

[kan-ter] / ˈkæn tər /

noun

1. a person who is much given to the use of cant.

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canter British  

/ ˈkæntə /

noun

1. an easy three-beat gait of horses, etc, between a trot and a gallop in speed

2. easily; without effort

   he won at a canter

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verb

1. to move or cause to move at a canter

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• cantering
  present
• cantered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• canter
  simple
• canters
  simple
• have cantered
  perfect
• has cantered
  perfect
• are cantering
  progressive
• am cantering
  progressive
• is cantering
  progressive
• have been cantering
  perfect progressive
• has been cantering
  perfect progressive

Past

• cantered
  simple
• had cantered
  perfect
• was cantering
  progressive
• were cantering
  progressive
• had been cantering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will canter
  simple
• will have cantered
  perfect
• will be cantering
  progressive
• will have been cantering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of canter¹

First recorded in 1745–55; short for Canterbury to ride at a pace like that of Canterbury pilgrims

Origin of canter²

First recorded in 1870–75; cant ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

To canter is to ride a horse at a speed between a trot and a gallop. When canter is a noun, it is a ride on a horse at that pace and so you can say to a friend, "Come with us for a canter!" As a verb, canter means to ride at the pace of a canter, which is a pretty easy rate of speed. In fact, the word comes from the phrase "Canterbury gallop" because in the Middle Ages people used to travel to the cathedral in Canterbury, England to visit the tomb of St. Thomas Becket. It was so popular an activity that the pace of the horses that the pilgrims rode on became known as the "Canterbury gallop" and the phrase was so commonly used that it was eventually shortened to canter.

Example Sentences

Five-time Champions League winners Barca struggled to find their rhythm in the first half but did enough after the break to clinch a top-eight league phase finish at a canter.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

A nicely worked move sent Andrew Kellaway running through the Japan defence and he fed Flook to canter over the line.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

You just have to look at what they did last season, and how they won the title at a canter.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2025

Capuozzo later turned creator, thrillingly slicing through England with a scalpel-sharp change of direction to open up a route for Exeter's Ross Vintcent to canter over.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2025

The horses moved at a quick canter down the trail.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz