stallion
Americannoun
-
stallions
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stallion
1275–1325; Middle English stalon < Old French estalon, equivalent to stal- (< Germanic; see stall 1) + -on noun suffix
Explanation
While the word stallion most often means "male horse," you can also call donkeys and zebras (as well as other horse relatives) stallions. A horse is frequently referred to as a stallion once he fathers a foal. While in most of the western world stallions are primarily kept for breeding, it is popular in parts of the Middle East and Asia for stallions to be used for riding (almost always by men). The word stallion comes from stall, referencing ancient laws requiring male breeding horses to be kept in stalls rather than allowed to wander in fields.
Vocabulary lists containing stallion
Elijah of Buxton
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 2, Week 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Crowds of men in matching tracksuits clapped in unison and waved national flags as sand-coloured stallion Hankerven, adorned with jewellery and a traditional carpet, clinched the top prize.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
“At least, I hope they take the horse off that car,” he said, referring to the Ferrari logo of a rearing stallion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
“There’s not a hotter stallion in the country than Gun Runner and they move up going from six furlongs to a mile,” Sadler said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025
That turned out to be Welsh pop stallion Tom Jones.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2025
Dry leaves flew in a whirlwind beneath churning hooves, as the stallion sped to the brown crest of a hill.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
Trainers clad in ornate uniforms and traditional white fur headgear led golden-bedecked stallions round a stage arena at an annual horse beauty pageant in the ultra-closed Central Asian state of Turkmenistan.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Up to now, researchers had believed sacrificial horses were always locally-sourced stallions.
From Science Daily ● May 17, 2024
DNA recovered from the teeth, meanwhile, yielded another surprise: The horses were as likely to be mares as stallions, suggesting the sex of the animal was less important than thought.
From Science Magazine ● May 16, 2024
Old Friends only accepts thoroughbreds and says horses deemed at “great risk” and stallions being returned from overseas receive preference, according to its website.
From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2024
The bronze stallions threw long shadows across the waving grasses as Khal Drogo led the khalasdi under their hooves and down the godsway, his bloodriders beside him.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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.
