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Which silent-film star became famous for a distinctive, instantly recognizable gait?

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gait

American  

[gayt] / 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

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Etymology

Origin of gait

1500–10; Scots, Middle English spelling variant of gate ¹ in various senses

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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

Whether gait retraining can actually delay or prevent knee replacement remains unknown.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

One major obstacle remains: delivering personalized gait retraining outside a specialized research laboratory.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

The disease is marked by symptoms including tremor, stiffness, slow movement, gait and balance problems.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

The first signs that a dog is crossing over into his senior years are often a graying muzzle, cloudier eyes or a slower gait.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Hank said it’s the one thing that gives you away, but that by paying close attention and watching yourself in the mirror, you can master an even gait.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

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

"We have thus confirmed the hypothesis that efficient gaits can be realized by exploiting natural oscillation patterns," explains Prof.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 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

Brachycephalics are widely adored for their goggle-eyes, wrinkled faces and waddling gaits.

From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2023

The column had begun to move more rapidly and they quickened their steeds’ gaits.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

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