What does colt mean?
A colt is a young male horse, generally understood to be under four years of age, though in everyday speech the word sometimes loosely covers any juvenile horse. It sits alongside related terms that are easy to mix up: a foal is a newborn or very young horse of either sex, a filly is the female equivalent of a colt, and once a colt matures he becomes either a stallion or, if castrated, a gelding. The word carries connotations of youth, energy, and awkwardness — a frisky, untrained colt suggests playful exuberance and inexperience. By extension, English uses 'colt' figuratively for a young person new to a trade or field, as in calling a junior lawyer 'a colt at the bar', though this figurative sense is somewhat dated today. The adjective derived from the word, 'coltish', meaning playful or lively like a young horse, remains in common use and captures the spirit of youthful clumsiness and high spirits.
A young male horse, typically under four years old.
"She spent her summer training a spirited chestnut colt on the family farm."
In formal horse-racing terminology, a colt is an uncastrated male horse aged four or younger.
A young, inexperienced person, especially one new to a profession or activity.
"The veteran editor treated the newest hire kindly, remembering when he himself was a colt in the newsroom."
This figurative sense is now somewhat dated but survives in older literature and idiomatic writing.
'Colt' is a regular countable noun; the standard plural is simply 'colts'.
"The pasture was full of long-legged colts chasing each other through the grass."
Samuel Colt gave the world the famous six-shooter, but the word 'colt' had already been galloping around English for centuries before he was born.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colt
'Colt' comes from Old English, where it appeared in early medieval texts referring to a young horse or ass. The further origin of the Old English word is uncertain; some scholars have pointed to possible Germanic connections, but no definitive cognate lineage has been established. What is certain is that the word has been continuous in English since the earliest records, later giving rise to the adjective 'coltish' and figurative senses relating to youthful inexperience.
Related word forms
How colt is actually used
'Colt' is a neutral, everyday term used widely in horse breeding and racing contexts. In racing, horses are classified by age and sex, so 'colt' appears often in phrases like 'three-year-old colt'. Once castrated, a young male horse is called a gelding rather than a colt, and after reaching maturity an entire (uncastrated) male horse is a stallion.
Easily confused with colt
A filly is a young female horse, whereas a colt is specifically a young male horse.
A foal is any very young horse of either sex; 'colt' refers only to males and typically covers a slightly wider age range.