Outgalloping

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Advancing quickly ahead, often describing the rapid running of a horse or its rider
2. Moving at a fast pace in front, especially when refers to a horse or horseback rider increasing speed
3. Proceeding swiftly forward, typically used for a horse that is galloping beyond others or at great speed

Etymology: "Outgalloping" is the present participle of "outgallop," a formation made by attaching the prefix "out-" to "gallop." The prefix descends from Old English "ūt," meaning "outside" or "away from," which is the same root that gives English its everyday sense of moving beyond a boundary. "Gallop" itself comes from the Old French "galop," the pace of a horse at full stretch, so the compound describes one animal pulling ahead of the rest at that speed. The construction is a plain one, and it follows a familiar English pattern in which "out-" added to a verb means to surpass or outdo in that action. Outrun, outdistance and outpace work the same way. The result is a vivid, specific verb for the moment a rider's mount leaves the field behind.