pronk

See also: Pronk

English
A springbok pronking

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Afrikaans pronk (“to show off, strut, or prance”), from Dutch pronken (“to show off, be flamboyant”). See also prank.

Verb

pronk (third-person singular simple present pronks, present participle pronking, simple past and past participle pronked)

  1. (of a quadruped) To jump with all four limbs at once.
    Synonyms: stot, leap
    • 1991, Richard Estes, The Behavior Guide to African Mammals: Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates, Univ of California Press, →ISBN, page 83:
      Like stotting, pronking is a signal of medium excitation and is performed more often by fawns than by adults (1, 16).
    • 2004, Sean Nicholson, Namibian Wildlife - An Alternative Guide for the Traveller on Safari, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 14:
      Why do Springbok pronk? Pronking is the jumping up in the air they are famous for. Various theories exist, equating pronking to fitness displays. Most of the pronking is done by young animals and […]

Noun

pronk (plural pronks)

  1. A gait or a leap in which all four legs are used to push off the ground at once.

Further reading
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