Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Relating to or suggestive of a colt.
  • adjective Lively and playful; frisky.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Like a colt.
  • Frisky; gay; wanton; licentious.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Like a colt; wanton; frisky.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Lively and playful; frisky.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective given to merry frolicking

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

colt +‎ -ish

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word coltish.

Examples

  • I highly encourage you to read his take on both that and on the later Newbery/Caldecott proceedings though I do take serious issue with any discussion of Shannon Hale that contains the word "coltish".

    Archive 2006-06-01 fusenumber8 2006

  • She was put on the cover of Time, won an Oscar, attracted the terms ( "coltish", "gamine", "elfin") that would be attached to her thereafter and became the chosen representative of Givenchy chic.

    Film | guardian.co.uk 2009

  • They eyed me solemnly, all long, coltish limbs combined with baby cheeks and huge eyes.

    The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf Molly Harper 2011

  • Squeezing in an extra 90 minutes for our most prized, coltish 18-year-old is so obviously a bad idea that it is hard to resist the sense that it must, on some level, be rooted in the basic English urge to test and pummel, to boot-camp and basic-train.

    Why we must savour the rare English delicacy that is Jack Wilshere Barney Ronay 2010

  • He was thin, coltish, none too clean, a half-smile perched on his face like a flatulent frog.

    Good Country. People. Heather Fowler 2011

  • He did however give Bill a daily run for his money with his joie de vivre and coltish mischievous behavior.

    Liz O'Connell: Proviso: Always on Track Liz O'Connell 2010

  • Then there was Cécile McLorin Salvant, at 21 still so young as to be slightly coltish, who came out and proclaimed "I've got a secret!"

    Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocalist Competition 2010 at Kennedy Center Anne Midgette 2010

  • "Sonatine," Balanchine's alternately grounded and playfully darting duet to Maurice Ravel's piano music, got a confident and charming performance from coltish Courtney Anderson and an ardent Momchil Mladenov.

    A Company in Progress Robert Greskovic 2011

  • The coltish Henderson, whose gawky movement can disguise his skill, and Downing both acquitted themselves well but the new boys had nothing to do with Liverpool's equaliser.

    Newcomers help Liverpool regain their old swagger | Richard Williams 2012

  • He did however give Bill a daily run for his money with his joie de vivre and coltish mischievous behavior.

    Liz O'Connell: Proviso: Always on Track Liz O 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.