Tantivy
[tan-TIV-ee]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: English, mid 17th century
1.
A rapid gallop or ride.
Examples of Tantivy in a sentence
"The horse's tantivy was as fast as thunder."
"John rode a fast tantivy toward the fence line."
About Tantivy
“Tantivy” can also mean “the blare of a trumpet or horn.” It’s believed that the word “tantivy” became confused at some point with the shortened Latin word “tantara,” which was used in 16th century England to indicate the sound of a trumpet.
Did you Know?
“Tantivy” was originally an exclamation in the mid 17th century, used, for example, as a battle cry. There’s a famous English folk song from the late 18th century which starts, “Tantivy, Tantivy, a hunting we will go!” Hunting in England at that time took place on horseback, and it is thought that “tantivy” at the start of the song was meant to mimic the sound of galloping.
