Meaning

noun a proud stiff pompous gait

verb to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others

verb spring forward on the hind legs

originFrom Middle English prancen, prauncen (“to prance”, literally “to show off”), variant of Middle English pranken (“to prank”), thus probably from the same ultimate root as prank. Cognate with Bavarian prangezen, prangssen (“to put on airs”), Alemannic German pranzen (“to strut”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0