Meaning & use
pronk
Last updated
Meanings
verbintransitivebiologytechnical
Of certain antelopes and gazelles, to jump stiffly on all four legs at once.
Grammar: No object: the animal pronks; it is not used about people.
Patterns
- an antelope pronks
- pronk across something
The springbok pronked across the dry grass to warn the herd.
When a predator nears, the gazelle may pronk instead of running.
Young animals often pronk together in the early morning.
nouncountablebiologytechnical
A stiff four-legged leap made by an antelope or gazelle.
Grammar: Countable: 'a pronk', 'several pronks'.
Patterns
- a pronk of the springbok
- perform a pronk
The herd's sudden pronks alerted the other animals.
A single pronk can carry the animal a meter into the air.
Word forms
| third person singular | pronks |
|---|---|
| past tense | pronked |
| past participle | pronked |
| -ing form | pronking |
Common combinations
- pronk away
- Startled by the jeep, the gazelle pronked away.
- pronk across the plain
- The herd pronked across the plain at dusk.
- a pronking springbok
- We photographed a pronking springbok near the road.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- pronking noun
- The behavior or activity of jumping in this stiff-legged way.
Commonly confused: pronk or prank?
pronk vs prank
A prank is a trick or joke; 'pronk' is an animal's jump and sounds different, with /ŋ/ in the middle.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pronk' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Pronk' describes a stiff four-legged jump by antelopes and gazelles and takes no object. The other options use it as if it meant people jumping or throwing something, which it never does.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pronk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.