Standard Lemma guide

cavort

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /kəˈvɔːt/
  • Canada, US: /kəˈvɔɹt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /kəˈvoːt/
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)t
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 V AO1 R T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To prance, frolic, gambol.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To move about carelessly, playfully or boisterously.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: romp, frolic, prance, caper

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To engage in extravagant pursuits, especially of a sexual nature.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

play boisterously

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The children frolicked in the garden
  • the gamboling lambs in the meadows
  • The toddlers romped in the playroom

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: frolic, lark, rollick, skylark, disport, sport, gambol, frisk, romp, run around, lark about

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: play

History

Etymology

Originated in the United States in 1793, as cauvaut, applying to horses, probably from the colloquial intensifying prefix ca-/ka- + vault (“jump, leap”); later generalized. Early sources connect it to cavault, a term for a certain demeanor of horses. Alternatively, a variation of curvet.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: skotačit — prance
  • Dutch: steigeren — prance
  • Esperanto: pranci — prance
  • Hungarian: ágaskodik — prance
  • Hungarian: táncol — prance
  • Chinese: 嫐 (nǎo) — move/play boisterously
  • Chinese: 撕罗 (sī luo) — move/play boisterously
  • Czech: dovádět — move/play boisterously
  • Czech: skotačit — move/play boisterously
  • Dutch: dartelen — move/play boisterously
  • Dutch: ronddollen — move/play boisterously
  • Esperanto: kaprioli — move/play boisterously
  • Esperanto: ĉirkausalti — move/play boisterously
  • Estonian: hullama — move/play boisterously
  • Finnish: kirmailla — move/play boisterously
  • French: cabrioler — move/play boisterously
  • German: herumtollen — move/play boisterously
  • German: herumtanzen — move/play boisterously
  • Irish: pocléim — move/play boisterously
  • Italian: fare capriole — move/play boisterously
  • Polish: figlować — move/play boisterously
  • Polish: swawolić — move/play boisterously
  • Portuguese: curvetear — move/play boisterously
  • Russian: резви́ться (rezvítʹsja) — move/play boisterously
  • Spanish: retozar — move/play boisterously
  • Spanish: juguetear — move/play boisterously
  • Swedish: leka — move/play boisterously