prance
UK /ˈpɹɑːns/ · US /ˈpɹæns/ verb, noun
Forms prances prancing pranced
- verb (of a horse) To spring forward on the hind legs.
- verb (colloquial, figuratively) To strut about in a showy manner. “John's daughter was prancing about the sitting room, practicing for her school dance.”
- noun A prancing movement.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English prancen, prauncen (“to prance”, literally “to show off”), variant of Middle English pranken (“to prank”), thus probably from the same ultimate root as prank. Cognate with Bavarian prangezen, prangssen (“to put on airs”), Alemannic German pranzen (“to strut”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To spring or bound, as a horse in high mettle.
- verb To ride on a prancing horse; to ride in an ostentatious manner.
Etymology [OE. prauncen; probably akin to prank, v. t. See Prank.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “prance”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details