Croupe

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kɹuːp/

Definitions

1. The hindquarters of an animal, especially horses, known for strength and shape
2. A term used to describe the rear section of an animal's body, particularly in equine species
3. The area at the back of an animal's body near the hips and above the tail

Etymology: A horse's croup is its rump, the rounded area between the back of the saddle and the tail. The English word comes from French "croupe," which likely traces to a Germanic source with a root sense of something rounded or lumpy. That same root is probably behind English "crop," in its sense of a rounded bunch or top. The sense of sitting behind someone shows up in "croupier." Its original image was a rider perched on the croup behind another rider, and the gambling term is generally traced to that position. At the gaming table, the croupier was the assistant seated behind the banker, watching over the bets. The "crupper" is the leather strap that runs from the saddle under a horse's tail to stop the saddle sliding forward. It comes from the same French root. The medical "croup," an inflammation of the throat, is unrelated, since its name is imitative of the cough.