gallop

American  

[gal-uhp] / ˈgæl əp /

verb (used without object)

gallops, present (3rd person singular) galloped, past participle, past galloping present participle

1. to ride a horse at a gallop; ride at full speed.

   They galloped off to meet their friends.

2. to run rapidly by leaps, as a horse; go at a gallop.

3. to go fast, race, or hurry, as a person or time.

   Synonyms:

   scoot, fly, speed, dash, rush, run

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verb (used with object)

gallops, present (3rd person singular) galloped, past participle, past galloping present participle

1. to cause (a horse or other animal) to gallop.

noun

1. a fast gait of the horse or other quadruped in which, in the course of each stride, all four feet are off the ground at once.

2. a run or ride at this gait.

3. a rapid rate of going.

4. a period of going rapidly.

gallop British  

/ ˈɡæləp /

verb

1. (intr) (of a horse or other quadruped) to run fast with a two-beat stride in which all four legs are off the ground at once

2. to ride (a horse, etc) at a gallop

3. (intr) to move, read, talk, etc, rapidly; hurry

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noun

1. the fast two-beat gait of horses and other quadrupeds

2. an instance of galloping

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outgallop
  verb (used with object)
• galloper
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has galloped
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have galloped
  perfect
• have been galloping
  perfect progressive
• are galloping
  progressive
• has been galloping
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is galloping
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am galloping
  progressive 1st person singular
• galloping
  participle
• gallops
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had galloped
  perfect
• were galloping
  progressive plural
• had been galloping
  perfect progressive
• was galloping
  progressive singular
• galloped
  participle
• galloped
  simple

Future

• will gallop
  simple
• will have galloped
  perfect
• will be galloping
  progressive
• will have been galloping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of gallop

1375–1425; late Middle English galopen (v.) < Old French galoper < Frankish *wala hlaupan to run well ( see well ¹, leap) or, alternatively, verbal derivative of *walhlaup, equivalent to *wal battlefield (cognate with Old High German wal; see Valkyrie) + *hlaup run, course (derivative of the v.)

Explanation

A gallop is a horse's fastest gait, a full-on run. A loud noise might cause a trotting horse to panic and break into a gallop. Any four-legged animal can run at a gallop, although the word most often describes horses and ponies. To run this way is also to gallop: "I watched the horses gallop around the track." You can even use the word to emphasize a person's fast and heavy gait: "My little brother has to gallop around the house a few times before he'll go to bed."

Related Words

• amble
• dart
• dash
• hurry
• lope
• stride
• trot
• zoom