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

“The duration an individual, whether male or female, can maintain balance on one leg,” it concluded, “emerges as the most reliable determinant of aging, surpassing strength, gait, and other balance parameters.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

To understand the mechanics of the horse’s gait, his team placed a series of cameras along a stretch of dirt road on what would later become the university’s campus.

From Slate ● May 25, 2026

These included pain levels, physical function, gait performance, and quality of life.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 30, 2026

Typical therapy can include eye-head exercises, repositioning maneuvers, gait and balance training, and home exercises, but researchers are also working on more-sophisticated programs and devices patients can use to manage episodes of vertigo and dizziness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

Bull walked down the long polished hall with a bouncing gait that was distinctively unmilitary.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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

Both were walking on two feet, although they had different gaits and foot shapes, which the research team in this study used to differentiate the footprints.

From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2024

"If we tell our model, 'Optimize your gait on these two things,' it gives us really realistic-looking gaits that best match the data we have," Fay explains.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 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

Nan, this second horse, had easier gaits than the old war-horse.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Related Words

• bearing