Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To spring forward on the hind legs. Used of a horse.
  • intransitive verb To spring or bound forward in a manner reminiscent of a spirited horse.
  • intransitive verb To ride a horse moving in such a fashion.
  • intransitive verb To walk or move about spiritedly; strut.
  • intransitive verb To cause (a horse) to prance.
  • noun The act or an instance of prancing.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make a show in walking; move proudly, lifting the feet with a rearing or capering motion: used of horses in high mettle.
  • To ride with a rearing or capering motion; ride gaily, proudly, or insolently.
  • To walk, strut, or caper in an elated, proud, or conceited manner.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To spring or bound, as a horse in high mettle.
  • intransitive verb To ride on a prancing horse; to ride in an ostentatious manner.
  • intransitive verb To walk or strut about in a pompous, showy manner, or with warlike parade.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncommon The act of prancing.
  • verb of a horse To spring forward on the hind legs.
  • verb colloquial, figuratively To strut about.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a proud stiff pompous gait
  • verb cause (a horse) to bound spring forward
  • verb spring forward on the hind legs
  • verb to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
  • verb ride a horse such that it springs and bounds forward

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English prauncen.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English prancen, prauncen ("to prance", literally, "to show off"), variant of Middle English pranken ("to prank"). Cognate with Bavarian prangezen, prangssen ("to put on airs"), Alemannic German pranzen ("to strut"). More at prank.

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