trot

trot · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*dreh₂-“to run, escape”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*trudōną
3. Frankish · derived from*trottōn“to go, run”
4. Medieval Latin · derived from*trottō, *trotō“to go”
5. Old French · derived fromtrotter
6. Middle English · inherited fromtrotten
7. English todaytrot

From Middle English trotten, from Old French trotter, troter (“to go, trot”), from Medieval Latin *trottō, *trotō (“to go”), from Frankish *trottōn (“to go, run”), from Proto-Germanic *trudōną, *trudaną, *tradjaną (“to go, step, tread”), from Proto-Indo-European *dreh₂- (“to run, escape”). Cognate with Old High German trottōn (“to run”), Modern German trotten (“to trot, plod”), Gothic 𐍄𐍂𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽 (trudan, “to tread”), Old Norse troða (“to walk, tread”), Old English tredan (“to step, tread”). Doublet of trade and tread.

trot · noun²

Short for foxtrot, whose rhythms influenced the genre.

Trot · noun³

Clipping.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• From 1854. A toddler.
• From 1895. A young animal.
• From 1362. An ugly old woman, a hag.