trot

1 of 4

verb

trotted; trotting

intransitive verb

1
: to ride, drive, or proceed at a trot
the fox trotted over the knoll
2
: to proceed briskly : hurry

transitive verb

1
: to cause to go at a trot
2
: to traverse at a trot

trot

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a(1)
: a moderately fast gait of a quadruped (such as a horse) in which the legs move in diagonal pairs
(2)
: a jogging gait of a human that falls between a walk and a run
b
: a ride on horseback
2
trots plural : diarrhea
used with the
3
: an old woman
4
: a literal translation of a foreign text

trot

3 of 4

noun (2)

: trotline
also : one of the short lines with hooks that are attached to a trotline at intervals

Trot

4 of 4

noun (3)

: an adherent of Trotskyism : trotskyist, trotskyite

Examples of trot in a Sentence

Verb A horse trotted past us. The batter trotted around the bases after hitting a home run. She trotted off to help. The little boy trotted along after his mother. Noun (1) a gossipy old trot who never had a good word to say about anyone ate something that gave us the trots
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Our Beau excitedly trots to my daughter's room daily looking for his sister and has for two years. John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025 Once the rear door opened, dozens of cattle trotted down the wooden shoot, leaving behind a few stragglers in need of extra encouragement. Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, The Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
Snippets of Alec Burleson’s home run trot and the subsequent dugout celebration appeared to show Burleson and many of his teammates cupping their ears with one hand while raising their opposite fists in the air. Katie Woo, The Athletic, 21 July 2024 Turkey trots are booming: The race technology company RunSignup says its platform alone will register and/or time more than 900 turkey trots, up more than 100 from a year ago. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for trot 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from troter to trot, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German trottōn to tread, Old English tredan

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun (2)

1883, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trot was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near trot

Cite this Entry

“Trot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trot. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

trot

1 of 2 noun
1
: a moderately fast gait of a four-footed animal (as a horse) in which a front foot and the opposite hind foot move at the same time
2
: a human jogging pace between a walk and a run

trot

2 of 2 verb
trotted; trotting
1
: to ride, drive, go, or cause to go at a trot
2
: to go along quickly : hurry

More from Merriam-Webster on trot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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