noun
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manner of walking or running; bearing
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(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
verb
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.
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.
Vocabulary lists containing gait
Horsin' Around
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List 5
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Bud, Not Buddy
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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.
Security systems will read your face, as well as your gait, heart rate and physiology while allowing you to keep moving.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Mind-body approaches likely improved short term function, while neuromotor training likely boosted short term gait performance.
From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026
The bounce in his gait had gone, the speed of his stride had slowed.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
In order to obtain a warrant to obtain a blood draw, the officer “falsely claimed that Senator Cervantes had an unsteady gait, slurred speech, and an appearance of drowsiness,” the complaint alleges.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
Nehemia examined the assassin, and Celaena knew she was taking in her clothes, her gait, her posture—everything Celaena herself had observed about the princess already.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
