Meaning & use
stallion
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
An adult male horse that has not been castrated, especially one kept for breeding.
Grammar: Countable: a stallion, two stallions. Use 'the stallion' when referring to a particular one.
Patterns
- a stallion
- the stallion
- a breeding stallion
The farmer bought a new stallion to improve his herd.
That black stallion is the fastest horse in the stable.
Stallions can be more difficult to handle than mares or geldings.
nouncountablefigurativehumorous
A powerful, virile man, especially one who has many sexual partners.
Grammar: Often used humorously or approvingly, but can be offensive if used to reduce a person to their sexuality.
Patterns
- a stallion
- be a stallion
He thinks he's a real stallion, but his friends just laugh.
In the film, the hero is portrayed as a stallion who charms everyone.
Word forms
| plural | stallions |
|---|
Common combinations
- breeding stallion
- The stud farm owns several valuable breeding stallions.
- ride a stallion
- She loves to ride her stallion along the beach.
- wild stallion
- A wild stallion led the herd across the plain.
- stallion's mane
- The stallion's mane flowed in the wind as it galloped.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stud
- A 'stud' is also a male horse kept for breeding, but it can refer to the farm or the act of breeding; 'stallion' focuses on the animal itself.
- horse
- A general term for any horse, male or female, whereas 'stallion' is specifically an uncastrated adult male.
Opposites
Word family
- stallion noun
- The base word itself; no common derived forms exist.
Commonly confused: stallion or gelding? stallion or steed?
stallion vs gelding
A gelding is a castrated male horse, while a stallion is uncastrated. They are not interchangeable.
stallion vs steed
A steed is a literary word for a horse, often one ridden in battle; it does not specify the horse's sex or breeding status.
Practice
Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'The farmer decided to keep the young male horse as a ______ for breeding.'?
Choose one answer.
A stallion is an uncastrated adult male horse kept for breeding. A mare is female, a gelding is castrated, and a foal is a baby horse, so none of those fit the breeding context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stallion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.