tantivy

English

Etymology

A fox-hunting term, said to be from the note of a hunting horn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tænˈtɪvi/

Adverb

tantivy (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) At full tilt
   • 1737, John Ozell, ed., The Works of Francis Rabelais, M.D., fourth book, J. Brindley and C. Corbett, page 213:

     Fryar John began to paw, neigh and whinny at the Snout's end, as one ready to leap, or at least to play the Ass, and get up and ride tantivy to the Devil like a Beggar on Horseback.

Noun

tantivy (plural tantivies)

1. (obsolete) A rapid gallop
   • a. 1658, John Cleveland, letter to a Parliament Officer at Grantham

     Sir , I expected to hear from you in the Language of the lost Groat , and the Prodigal Son , and not in such a Tantivy of Language

2. (informal) The sound of a hunting horn in imitation of a galloping horse
   • 1898, Joseph Jacobs, English Fairy Tales, David Nutt:

     Jack then placed himself on the opposite side of the pit, farthest from the giant’s lodging, and, just at the break of day, he put the horn to his mouth, and blew, Tantivy, Tantivy. This noise roused the giant.

Usage notes

• The sound of a hunting horn seems to be an erroneous use (according to the OED)

Verb

tantivy (third-person singular simple present tantivies, present participle tantivying, simple past and past participle tantivied)

1. (intransitive) To hurry off.

Further reading

• “tantivy”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “tantivy”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.