curvet
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
-
to leap in a curvet, as a horse; cause one's horse to do this.
-
to leap and frisk.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
dressage to make or cause to make such a leap
-
(intr) to prance or frisk about
Etymology
Origin of curvet
1565–75; earlier curvetto < Italian corvetta < French courbette, equivalent to courb(er) to bend, curve (≪ Latin curvāre; cf. curve) + -ette -ette ( def. )
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.
See Examples For:
Elizabeth's Winston, pestered by a swarm of thunder flies, began to curvet alarmingly.
From Time Magazine Archive
Tigers walk treadmills, horses curvet superbly and Harry Rittely sits atop seven tables and topples over backwards.
From Time Magazine Archive
There they go, prancing over the ground, causing their gaily caparisoned steeds to caper and curvet, especially in front of the tiers of seated señoritas.
From The White Chief A Legend of Northern Mexico by L. Evans
The horse, surprised at his burden, cantered casually along at first; then, resenting the intrusion, began to toss his head, snort and curvet about.
From Penny of Top Hill Trail by Philip Lyford
By so doing, the mouth of the horse receives a jerk which seldom fails to make it rear and curvet from side to side.
From The Frontier Fort Stirring Times in the N-West Territory of British America by D. H. Friston
When Wat Gordon mounted into the saddle with an easy spring his horse bent back its head and curveted, biting at his foot.
From The Men of the Moss-Hags Being a history of adventure taken from the papers of William Gordon of Earlstoun in Galloway by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett
The sea seemed almost boundless, and dashed in noisy surges below, while the birds curveted and screamed above.
From North-Pole Voyages by Zachariah Atwell Mudge
He curveted towards their table, beaming and erect, his head up, his gaze level, and his chest expanded, for all the world as if he had been reading the hints in "The Personality That Wins."
From Indiscretions of Archie by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
He curveted into the room as if he had bought it and the rest of the city.
From The Man with Two Left Feet And Other Stories by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
As we curveted in the full glare of the limelight, I was aware of a figure in a pot-hat and a vast fur coat standing near the motor.
From In Mr. Knox's Country by Martin Ross
"Oh, do stop!" she continued to the horse who now on the level again, began sidling and curveting.
From Dulcibel A Tale of Old Salem by Howard Pyle
By dodging from one of these covers to another, he arrived undiscovered at a point whence he could see the caravan and the curveting mêlée which surrounded it.
From Overland by J. W. (John William) De Forest
But alas, you can’t codify genuflections, nor yet a handshake. 123The next degree in the imperial advent was the imperial courier, who proclaimed from a curveting steed what everybody suspected.
From The Missourian by Eugene P. (Eugene Percy) Lyle
He retreated a little, or rather he edged away toward the right, wheeling and curveting after the manner of the Apaches, in order to present an unsteady mark for their archery.
From Overland by J. W. (John William) De Forest
To and fro, to and fro they swung, faster, slower, Dickie beating with his heels, the wooden horse curveting and prancing.
From Nine Little Goslings by Susan Coolidge
Over Dayton, Ohio, last week curvetted three new little airplanes, undergoing rigorous U. S. Army Air Corps tests in its present search for an advanced type training plane.
From Time Magazine Archive
At Sundra Straits, he curvetted over the mountains and jungles of Sumbawa, Dutch island.
From Time Magazine Archive
Twenty feet above Aslan and Digory he snorted, neighed, and curvetted.
From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis
The animal curvetted and plunged as the reports of the rifles of both sides rattled away furiously, but his rider had him in perfect control.
From The Border Boys Across the Frontier by John Henry Goldfrap
The ship curvetted in space like a prancing steed.
From Runaway by William Ashman
Alfredo, made his pony caper and look hard to ride, curvetting, sidling, closer and closer.
From Time Magazine Archive
The horses can smell the tiger scent and begin neighing and curvetting, trying to get away from it.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Raby, while waiting, amused herself with cutting some graceful figures and curvetting to and fro, but always, as Jeffreys noted with concern, edging nearer to the river.
From A Dog with a Bad Name by Talbot Baines Reed
His hold also upon his curvetting steed was a little precarious, and he hoped that no one in the crowd would notice the string that tied his legs together beneath the horse's belly.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, August 18th, 1920 by Various
Teresina sometimes dawns on my memory, curvetting with her lyre on her charger, like some incarnation of music; and, spite of myself, I write loftier and more serious strains when I think of this.
From The Serapion Brethren, Vol. I. by Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann
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