A moderate and easy gallop adapted to pleasure riding. [1913 Webster]
" The canter is a thoroughly artificial pace, at first extremely tiring to the horse, and generally only to be produced in him by the restraint of a powerful bit, which compels him to throw a great part of his weight on his haunches . . . There is so great a variety in the mode adopted by different horses for performing the canter, that no single description will suffice, nor indeed is it easy . . . to define any one of them." J. H. Walsh. [1913 Webster]
A rapid or easy passing over. [1913 Webster]
"A rapid canter in the Times over all the topics." [1913 Webster]

canter, v. i.

To move in a canter. [1913 Webster]

canter, v. t.

To cause, as a horse, to go at a canter; to ride (a horse) at a canter. [1913 Webster]

canter, n.

One who cants or whines; a beggar. [1913 Webster]
One who makes hypocritical pretensions to goodness; one who uses canting language. [1913 Webster]
"The day when he was a canter and a rebel." [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

canter, n. & v.
--n. a gentle gallop.
--v.
1 intr. (of a horse or its rider) go at a canter.
2 tr. make (a horse) canter.

Idiom

in a canter easily (win in a canter).

Etymology

short for Canterbury pace, from the supposed easy pace of medieval pilgrims to Canterbury

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THESAURUS

canter

Holy Willie, Joseph Surface, Mawworm, Pecksniff, Pharisee, Tartuffe, affecter, amble, bound, bum, burst, burst of speed, canting hypocrite, caracole, curvet, dash, dead run, derelict, dissembler, dissimulator, dogtrot, drifter, fair-weather friend, false friend, flank speed, flat-out speed, forced draft, formalist, fox-trot, frisk, full gallop, gallop, get, git, go on horseback, hack, hand gallop, headlong rush, heavy right foot, high lope, hightail, hobo, hop, hop along, hotfoot, hypocrite, jog trot, leap, lip server, lip worshiper, lope, make tracks, maximum speed, mealymouth, mount, open throttle, pace, pharisee, phony, piaffe, pietist, pious fraud, plunge, poser, prance, race, ranter, religionist, religious hypocrite, ride bareback, ride hard, run, rush, sanctimonious fraud, scamper, scud, scurry, scuttle, sniveler, snuffler, spiritual humbug, spring, sprint, spurt, step, step along, step lively, street arab, summer soldier, take horse, tittup, tramp, trip, trot, vag, vagrant, whited sepulcher, wide-open speed

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ROGET THESAURUS

canter

Journey

VB travel, journey, course, take a journey, go a journey, take a walk, go out for walk, have a run, take the air, flit, take wing, migrate, emigrate, trek, rove, prowl, roam, range, patrol, pace up and down, traverse, scour the country, traverse the country, peragrate, circumambulate, perambulate, nomadize, wander, ramble, stroll, saunter, hover, go one's rounds, straggle, gad, gad about, expatiate, walk, march, step, tread, pace, plod, wend, go by shank's mare, promenade, trudge, tramp, stalk, stride, straddle, strut, foot it, hoof it, stump, bundle, bowl along, toddle, paddle, tread a path, take horse, ride, drive, trot, amble, canter, prance, fisk, frisk, caracoler, caracole, gallop, embark, board, set out, hit the road, get going, get underway, peg on, jog on, wag on, shuffle on, stir one's stumps, bend one's steps, bend one's course, make one's way, find one's way, wend one's way, pick one's way, pick one's way, thread one's way, plow one's way, slide, glide, coast, skim, skate, march in procession, file on, defile, go to, repair to, resort to, hie to, betake oneself to.

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