knight

knight · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A man who served his sovereign or lord as a mounted soldier in armor in the medieval period.

  2. 2.

    A man awarded a nonhereditary title by a British monarch, ranking below a baronet.

  3. 3.

    A chess piece, typically shaped like a horse's head, that moves in an L-shape.

Forms

plural: knights

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    knight in shining armor — an idealized rescuer or hero
  • •
    white knight — a person or company that rescues another from a hostile takeover

Related words

See also: armor, chivalry, knights
Synonyms: cavalier, chevalier

Etymology

From Old English cniht ("boy, youth, servant"), from Proto-Germanic knehtaz. The meaning shifted to "military servant" and then "mounted warrior."