colt

noun

ˈkōlt 

1

a

: foal

especially : a male foal

b

: a young male horse that is usually not castrated and has not attained an arbitrarily designated age (such as four years)

2

: a young untried person

Synonyms

• abecedarian
• apprentice
• babe
• beginner
• cub
• fledgling
• freshman
• greenhorn
• neophyte
• newbie
• newcomer
• novice
• novitiate
• punk
• recruit
• rook
• rookie
• tenderfoot
• tyro
• virgin

Examples of colt in a Sentence

a colt who looked to the team's more experienced players for advice

Recent Examples on the Web

The victory came as sweetly as possible for trainer Chad Brown, who had stood by his colt through an admirable, if more than a little frustrating, Triple Crown campaign. —Guy Martin, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

His trio of colts is led by undefeated Mindframe, who will start from the outside No. 10 post. —Spencer Ripchik, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2024

The painstaking Pletcher was up to that task, putting the colt into a nearly 90-day layoff/back-to-school course of works, no racing, largely at Saratoga. —Guy Martin, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

The colt isn’t getting the respect the Santa Anita Derby winner normally gets and is listed at 20-1 on the morning line. —John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Swedish dialect kult half-grown pig

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

colt

noun

ˈkōlt 

1

: foal entry 1

especially : a young male horse

2

: an inexperienced young person