Word of the Week 6: Jaunt

Meaning: A jaunt is a short trip taken for pleasure or a brisk, lively walk.

Etymology: It comes from 16th-century English, where jaunt initially meant “to tire out a horse by riding it up and down.” The meaning shifted over time to “ride or trip” and eventually to the modern “short pleasure trip.” The playful sense stuck, and the weary horse vanished.

Example in a Sentence: “We took a weekend jaunt to the coast to escape the city heat.”