colt

¹ American  

[kohlt] / koʊlt /

noun

1. a young male animal of the horse family.

2. a male horse of not more than four years of age.

3. a young or inexperienced person.

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Colt ² American  

[kohlt] / koʊlt /

Trademark.

1. a brand of revolver.

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Colt ³ American  

[kohlt] / koʊlt /

noun

1. Samuel, 1814–62, U.S. inventor of the Colt revolver.

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colt ¹ British  

/ kəʊlt /

noun

1. a male horse or pony under the age of four

2. an awkward or inexperienced young person

3. sport

   1. a young and inexperienced player

   2. a member of a junior team

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Colt ² British  

/ kəʊlt /

noun

1. a type of revolver, pistol, etc

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Etymology

Origin of colt

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; compare dialectal Swedish kult little pig

Explanation

A colt is a male horse that's younger than four years old. When your colt is older than four, you can call him a stallion, gelding, or simply a horse. There are many terms for horses, depending what age they are and whether they're male or female. While colt can only refer to a young male, and a female of a similar age would be called a filly, you can talk about a horse of either sex that's between one and two years old as a yearling. The word colt comes directly from Old English, and it originally meant "young ass," or "young camel."

Example Sentences

Baffert has another San Felipe starter in Potente, an Into Mischief colt who cost $2.4 million as a yearling.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Whether Baffert has another Derby winner in Plutarch won’t be known for 12 weeks, but the colt certainly has the bloodlines.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

The last time we saw Forever Young in this country was a year ago when the 4-year-old colt finished third in the Classic.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025

Because for Hunter, the fixes are the fun part of challenges — whether it’s mending a missed block, pumping out another squat or winning the trust of a restless colt.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

“Sell the colt, then. Having two animals is more immoral than not having any.”

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Related Words

• filly