canter
1 Americannoun
verb (used with or without object)
noun
noun
-
an easy three-beat gait of horses, etc, between a trot and a gallop in speed
-
easily; without effort
he won at a canter
verb
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing canter
Horsin' Around
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The Lightning Thief
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Hot to Trot: Animal Ambulation
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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.
In October 2025, the couple opened Canter Inn in a restored Queen Anne-style building built in 1902.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
“The rule of law cannot be carried out if it depends on cronyism,” said Virginia Canter, a former government ethics lawyer who served in the administrations of both parties.
From Salon • Nov. 19, 2025
English pair Tommy Fleetwood and Laurie Canter also finished on that number.
From BBC • Nov. 16, 2025
He is joined in a tie for seventh alongside Robert MacIntyre, Alex Noren and Laurie Canter, while Tyrrell Hatton is one shot further back.
From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025
"Don't—" "Canter for the kind lady," Wharton insisted.
From The Auction Block by Beach, Rex Ellingwood
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.
