Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1821-1827
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†GAMBADE, n., v. Used mainly by Scott.
I. n. A prance, curvet, leap (of a horse); fig.: a prank, caper.Sc. 1821 Scott Familiar Letters (1894) II. 110:
15 Feb.: You must lay aside your frolics and gambades and take a manful journey-pace for a little while at least.Sc. 1823 Scott Quentin D. ix.:
Each fresh gambade of his unmanageable horse placed him in a new and more precarious attitude.
II. v. To prance, strut.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 193:
They espy'd gambadin' there That lion-lookin' clerk.
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"Gambade n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gambade>
