prance

English

Statue of a prancing horse,
La Clayette (Saône-et-Loire), France

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /pɹæn(t)s/
  • Rhymes: -æns
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /pɹɑːn(t)s/
  • Rhymes: -ɑːns

Noun

prance (plural prances)

  1. (uncommon) The act of prancing.

Verb

prance (third-person singular simple present prances, present participle prancing, simple past and past participle pranced)

  1. (of a horse) To spring forward on the hind legs.
  2. (colloquial, figuratively) To strut about.

Translations

Anagrams

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