rocking-horse

A child happily rides a wooden rocking-horse in the playroom.

Definition

Noun: A "rocking-horse" is a child's toy shaped like a horse, mounted on rockers or springs, so that it can be rocked back and forth.

Usage Examples

• (A toy horse that moves back and forth when rocked.)
• (A decorative toy horse for children.)

Advanced Usage

• "to ride a rocking-horse": to sit on and move the toy back and forth.

  • The child learned to balance while riding a rocking-horse. (The child practiced rocking motion on the toy.)

• "rocking-horse motion": a repetitive back-and-forth movement resembling that of a rocking horse.

  • The cradle had a gentle rocking-horse motion. (The cradle moved in a similar swaying pattern.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rocking (adj): moving back and forth or side to side.

  • The rocking chair creaked softly. (A chair designed to rock.)

• Horse (n): a large animal used for riding, or a toy or figure shaped like one.

  • She has a collection of wooden horses. (Toy or decorative horses.)

Synonyms

• Rocking toy: a toy designed to rock back and forth.
• Hobbyhorse: a stick with a horse's head used as a toy, though often confused with a rocking-horse.

Related Idioms

• "like a rocking-horse": used to describe a repetitive, swaying motion.
  • The boat swayed like a rocking-horse in the storm. (The boat moved back and forth in a similar way.)

Notes

• The term "rocking-horse" is typically written with a hyphen, though "rocking horse" (without hyphen) is also accepted.
• It is distinct from a "hobbyhorse," which is a stick with a horse's head that a child pretends to ride.