jaunt

Etymology

Origin uncertain. Perhaps a palatalised alteration of daunt (“to discourage”). Compare Scots jaunder (“to ramble, jaunt to taunt, jeer”), dialectal Swedish ganta (“to play the buffoon, romp, jest”); perhaps akin to English jump. Compare jaunce. Modern usage likely influenced by jaunty.

noun

1. (archaic) A wearisome journey.
   Fie, what a jaunt have I had. 1597, William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet
2. A short excursion for pleasure or refreshment; a ramble; a short journey.
   Some days later it happened that young Heriotside was stepping home over the Lang Muir about ten at night, it being his first jaunt from home since his arm had mended. 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

verb

1. (intransitive) To ramble here and there; to stroll; to make an excursion.
2. (intransitive) To ride on a jaunting car.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To jolt; to jounce.
   To get into a Grecian car, and to be drawn, with Minerva at his back[…]four or five miles through the streets of London‥after having quietly suffered himself to be jaunted about in this manner 1818, Cobbett's Weekly Political Register
4. (obsolete) To tire a horse by riding it hard or back and forth.