tantivy

[ tan-tiv-ee ]

/ tænˈtɪv i /

Save This Word!

adverb

at full gallop: to ride tantivy.

adjective

swift; rapid.

noun, plural tan·tiv·ies.

a gallop; rush.

interjection

(used as a hunting cry when the chase is at full speed.)

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of tantivy

First recorded in 1635–45; origin uncertain; possibly onomatopoeic, representing the sound of horses galloping

Words nearby tantivy

tantalum, Tantalus, tantalus monkey, tantamount, tantara, tantivy, tant mieux, tanto, tant pis, Tantra, Tantric

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tantivy in a sentence

The wild tantivy boy had vanished, and the sobriquet of "Tavern Knight" was fast becoming a misnomer.
The Tavern Knight|Rafael Sabatini
In the common-room one day sat as merry a company of carousers as ever gladdened the soul of an old tantivy boy.
The Tavern Knight|Rafael Sabatini
Is it strange that I became known as the wildest tantivy boy that rode with the King?
The Tavern Knight|Rafael Sabatini
The schooner “Tantivy” of this port went ashore on Kessingland beach during a dense snowstorm.
Chronological Retrospect of the History of Yarmouth and Neighbourhood|William Finch-Crisp

He was a Tory of the highest sort, such as in the cant of his age was called a Tantivy.
Critical and Historical Essays, Volume III (of 3)|Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for tantivy

tantivy

/ (tænˈtɪvɪ) /

adverb

at full speed; rapidly

noun

plural -tivies a hunting cry, esp at full gallop

interjection

a hunting cry, esp at full gallop

Word Origin for tantivy

C17: perhaps imitative of galloping hooves

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012