Curvet

/kɜːˈvɛt/ · verb

Meaning

(intransitive) Of a horse or, by extension, another animal: to leap about, to frolic..

Definitions by Sense

1. (intransitive) Of a horse or, by extension, another animal: to leap about, to frolic.
2. (transitive) To cause to leap about, dart or jump.
3. (of a bird) To fly or swim with darting movements.
4. (figuratively) (of a person) To prance; to caper, frolic.
5. (figuratively) (of an object) To jump, skip, shake.
6. A particular leap in which a horse raises both forelegs at once, equally advanced, and, as the forelegs are falling, raises the hind legs, so that all the legs are in the air at once.
7. A prank; a frolic.

Example Sentences

Sometime he trots, as if he told the steps, / With gentle majesty and modest pride; / Anon he rears upright, curvets and leaps, / As who should say, 'Lo! thus my strength is tried; / And this I do to captivate the eye / Of the fair breeder that is standing by.'

The boy turns into a dog and bow-wows—a cock, he flaps his wings and crows—a cow, he fetches a long drawn moo—a horse broke loose, he curvets, prances and kicks fearfully among his nursery blocks—a big bull, he waxes dangerous as he bellows and paws the carpet—a locomotive, he blows his steam whistle and dashes round the nursery with puffs and yells spasmodic, or taming down, sticks a feather in his cap and struts a soldier.

[T]he dog—a magnificent Newfoundland—that had come galloping down the field to meet us, began curveting round us, in gambols full of graceful beauty, and welcoming us with short joyful barks.

Gaily the grey horses curvetted to their destination at the church-gate, a laughter in the whole movement.

Firelily, under him, seemed sexually aroused, she curveted and frolicked so about the line of march, covering five miles to the prisoners’ one.

[…] I could no more travel the same Path, again and again, than I could have Patience to mount a managed Horse, in the Riding-House, and curvet it in the same Spot, for three Hours together.

[…] the upright leaden spout, curveting its liquid filament into [the well], is merely a representation of what the gardener himself, if called upon, could do better and more abundantly.

[…] flights of small, low-flying brown doves chased one another to and fro, and bee-eaters, emerald-green, curvetted like slow swallows.

Synonyms for curvet

Antonyms for curvet

Related Words

Word Forms

• curvets
• curvetting
• curveting
• curvetted
• curveted

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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