Definitions

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

  • intransitive verb To run or ride with a steady, easy gait.
  • noun A steady, easy gait.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To leap.
  • To move or run with a long step, as a dog; canter leisurely with a rather long, easy stride, as a horse.
  • To cause to lope in going or running.
  • noun A leap.
  • noun A striding movement; a run made with long steps; especially, a leisurely canter with a rather long, easy stride, as of a horse.
  • noun A Middle English preterit and past participle of leap.

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

  • imperative obsolete of leap.
  • intransitive verb Prov. Eng. To leap; to dance.
  • intransitive verb U.S. To move with a leaping or bounding stride, as a horse.
  • intransitive verb To run with an easy, bounding stride; -- of people.
  • noun Prov. Eng. A leap; a long step.
  • noun U.S. An easy gait, consisting of long running strides or leaps.

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

  • verb obsolete To jump, leap.
  • verb To travel an easy pace with long strides.
  • noun A horse's easy gait, consisting of long running strides or leaps. A lope resembles a canter.

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

  • noun a slow pace of running
  • noun a smooth three-beat gait; between a trot and a gallop
  • verb run easily

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English lopen, to leap, from Old Norse hlaupa.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Alteration of loup, from Old Norse hlaupa ("to leap, jump"). See leap. Cognate with German laufen ("walk, run"), Danish løbe, Dutch lopen ("walk, run"), Norwegian løpe ("run"). Compare leap.

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Examples

  • ‘Tue-tête means Pénélope is singing as LOUD as she can,’ she explains in a decidedly schoolmistressy voice, cranking up her internal volume dial to better illustrate her point and eliciting a groan from The Boy, who is sleeping in the bedroom, a few metres away.

    cover up 2008

  • ‘Tue-tête means Pénélope is singing as LOUD as she can,’ she explains in a decidedly schoolmistressy voice, cranking up her internal volume dial to better illustrate her point and eliciting a groan from The Boy, who is sleeping in the bedroom, a few metres away.

    boss 2008

  • This "lope" as it is called, seems to be a gait peculiarly adapted to the mustang, as they will break into, and keep it up the entire day; evincing no more distress than our ordinary horse does in trotting leisurely.

    Seven and Nine years Among the Camanches and Apaches An Autobiography Edwin Eastman

  • "I will," said Roy, as he called to his pony, who started off on a steady "lope" that rapidly carried him over the ground.

    The Boy from the Ranch Or Roy Bradner's City Experiences Frank V. Webster

  • This animal, if need be, will live on road-side croppings nearly as well as a mule, -- travel all day long on an easy "lope," never offering to stop till fatigue makes him fall, -- and, if you let him, will take you through _chaparrals_, and up and down precipices at whose bare suggestion an Eastern horse would break his legs.

    The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 13, No. 80, June, 1864 Various

  • The dancing was the usual hippity-hop or "lope" sideways, each holding hands with his or her neighbours.

    A Canyon Voyage The Narrative of the Second Powell Expedition down the Green-Colorado River from Wyoming, and the Explorations on Land, in the Years 1871 and 1872 Frederick S. Dellenbaugh

  • Already the bay was beginning to feel the run, and Marianne reluctantly drew down to the long lope which is the favorite gait of the cowpony.

    Alcatraz Max Brand 1918

  • Presently he comes down to a long, graceful "lope," and shortly he mysteriously disappears.

    Roughing It Mark Twain 1872

  • Presently he comes down to a long, graceful "lope," and shortly he mysteriously disappears.

    Roughing It, Part 1. Mark Twain 1872

  • Presently he comes down to a long, graceful "lope," and shortly he mysteriously disappears.

    Roughing It 1871

Comments

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  • Just came across this in the excellent first novel "Vernon God Little."

    November 26, 2007