1. In dressage, a vertical leap in which all four of the horse's feet leave the ground: While a horse performs a capriole, its hind legs are kicked out.

A capriole is an upward jump made by a trained horse without going forward and with a backward kick of the hind legs at the height of the jump, and then lands again on the same spot.
2. A playful leap or jump performed in ballet: During the wonderful presentation on stage, the dancers performed many caprioles and bounded into the air perfectly with the music.
3. Etymology: from Late 16th century via French, from Latin capreolus, "little goat"; from Latin caper, "goat".