1 tittup | Definition of tittup
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tittup

noun
tit·​tup | \ ˈti-tÉ™p How to pronounce tittup (audio) \

Definition of tittup

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: lively, gay, or restless behavior

tittup

verb
tittupped or tittuped; tittupping or tittuping

Definition of tittup (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to move in a lively manner often with an exaggerated or affected action

Did You Know?

Verb

Tittup has been used as noun naming an imitation of the sound of horses' hooves moving at a pace between a canter and a gallop since as early as 1703. The rhythmic sound and bounce of such movement was infectious enough to lead people to apply the word to other bouncy gaits, and to lively or restless behavior in general. Tittup was first used as a verb in 1785. In 1862, William Makepeace Thackeray recalled the word's equine origins when he wrote of a magnificent horse dancing, and tittupping. The word is not common today, but it does see occasional use, especially in British sources.

First Known Use of tittup

Noun

1703, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1785, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for tittup

Noun

imitative of the sound of a horse's hooves

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