“Curvet” can be used as a noun and a verb, both applying to a graceful leaping motion. Humans can curvet when they are dancing or performing a sport, but the word has a specific usage related to horses. In horsemanship, “curvet” means to “perform a series of jumps on the hind legs.” “Curvet” is borrowed from the Italian word for “curve,” and the Latin “curvus,” meaning “bent.”