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gal·lop

(găləp)

a. A gait of a horse, faster than a canter, in which all four feet are off the ground at the same time during each stride.

b. A fast running motion of other quadrupeds.

2. A ride taken at a gallop.

3. A rapid pace: Events were proceeding at a gallop.

4. Medicine A disordered rhythm of the heart characterized by three or four distinct heart sounds in each cycle and resembling the sound of a galloping horse. Also called gallop rhythm.

v. gal·loped, gal·lop·ing, gal·lops

v. tr.

To cause to gallop.

v. intr.

1. To go or move at a gallop.

2. To move or progress swiftly: Summer was galloping by.

[From Middle English galopen, to go at a gallop, from Old French galoper, either from Frankish *wal-hlaup, swift run on the battlefield made by a foot soldier running beside a cavalry horse while holding onto the horse's mane (*wal, battlefield; see welə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + *hlaup, run) or from Frankish *wala hlaupan, to run well (*wala, well; see wel-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + *hlaupan, to walk, run).]

gallop·er n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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