Word of the day: Curvet

Curvet

[kər-VET]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, late 16th century

A graceful or energetic leap.

Examples of curvet in a sentence

"Denishia was learning how to do graceful ballet curvets."

"Stephan leaped into a curvet when he heard the good news."

About Curvet

This word comes from the Italian “corvetta,” a derivative of “corva,” meaning “a curve.” It comes from the Latin “curvus,” meaning “bent.”

Did you Know?

“Curvet” can also be a verb, meaning “to make a graceful, energetic leap.” Another definition of "curvet" is specifically linked to a horse's movements: "perform a series of jumps on the hind legs." In the horsemanship sport of dressage, the courbette movement (from the same Latin root word) fits that description exactly.