Search for: Horses
7281 Etymology dictionary, p. post-horse (n.).2
horse kept at an inn, post house, or other station for use by mail carriers or for rent to travelers, 1520s, from post (n.3) "communication from one place to another by relays" + horse (n.).
7282 Etymology dictionary, p. postillon (n.).2
… near horse of the leaders when four or more are used in a carriage or post-chaise" is from 1620s.
7283 Etymology dictionary, p. postmaster (n.).2
1510s, "officer who has charge of a post-station and provides post-horses," from post (n.3) + master (n.). Later "official who has superintendence of a post office." Postmaster general "chief of a postal system" is by 1620s.
7284 Etymology dictionary, p. post-road (n.).2
"road on which there are stations for relay by post-horses," 1650s, from post (n.3) + road .
7285 Etymology dictionary, p. pray (v.).4
Praying mantis attested from 1809 ( praying locust is from 1752; praying insect by 1816; see mantis ). The Gardener's Monthly of July 1861 lists other names for it as camel cricket, soothsayer, and rear horse .
7286 Etymology dictionary, p. prance (v.).2
late 14c., prauncen, originally of horses in high mettle, "make a show in walking; move proudly, lifting the feet with a capering motion," a word of unknown origin. By late 14c. of persons, "to strut, swagger, act proudly and aggressively."
7287 Etymology dictionary, p. prancer (n.).2
1560s, originally thieves' slang for "a horse," agent noun from prance (v.). Meaning "a prancing horse" is from 1590s.
7288 Etymology dictionary, p. preposterous (adj.).2
… the horse ), from prae "before" (see pre- ) + posterus "subsequent, coming after," from post "after" (see post- ).
7289 Etymology dictionary, p. prick (v.).3
… or horses or dogs, is from early 15c.).
7290 Etymology dictionary, p. provender (n.).2
… for horses or other domesticated beasts) is recorded from mid-14c.
7291 Etymology dictionary, p. puce (n.).3
… of horses, dogs, etc.). That it could be generally recognized as a color seems a testimony to our ancestors' intimacy with vermin.
7292 Etymology dictionary, p. pull-up (n.).2
… a horse or vehicle to a sudden stop," from the verbal phrase; see pull (v.) + up (adv.). To pull up is attested by early 14c. as "lift (someone or something)," late 14c. as "uproot …
7293 Etymology dictionary, p. pull-up (n.).3
The sense of "check a course of action" is from 1808, figurative of the lifting of the reins in horse-riding; pull (v.) in the sense of "check or hold back one's horse to keep it from winning" is by 1800.
7294 Etymology dictionary, p. quarter (n.1).7
Quarter horse, bred strong for racing on quarter-mile tracks, is recorded by 1834. The word's connection with "four" loosened in Middle English and by 15c. expressions such as six-quartered for "six-sided" are found.
7295 Etymology dictionary, p. quinella (n.).2
… second horses in a given race, 1942, American English, from American Spanish quiniela, originally a ball game with five players, from Latin quini "five each …
7296 Etymology dictionary, p. quitter (n.).2
as an insult, "one who shirks or gives up," by 1878, American English, in reference to race horses, agent noun from quit (v.) in the "stop, cease" sense. It is attested by 1871 as "one who gives up (chewing tobacco)."
7297 Etymology dictionary, p. racing (n.).2
"the running of races, the occupation or business of arranging for or carrying on races," originally especially horse races, 1670s, verbal noun from race (v.).
7298 Etymology dictionary, p. race-course (n.).2
1764, "plot of ground laid out for horse racing," usually elliptical and with accommodations for participants and spectators, from race (n.1) + course (n.). Meaning "canal along which water is conveyed to or from a water wheel" is by 1841.
7299 Etymology dictionary, p. race-horse (n.).1
race-horse (n.)
7300 Etymology dictionary, p. race-horse (n.).2
"horse bred or kept for running in contests," 1620s, from race (n.1) + horse (n.).