naɪt n. & v. --n. 1 a
man awarded a non-hereditary
title (Sir) by a
sovereign in
recognition of
merit or service. 2
hist. a a man, usu.
noble, raised
esp. by a sovereign to
honourable military rank
after service as a page
and squire. b a military
follower or
attendant, esp. of a
lady as
her champion in a
war or
tournament. 3 a man
devoted to
the service of a
woman,
cause, etc. 4
Chess a
piece usu. shaped like a horse's
head. 5 a Rom.Hist. a
member of the
class of equites, orig. the
cavalry of the
Roman army. b Gk Hist. a
citizen of the second class in Athens. 6 (in full knight of the shire) hist. a
gentleman representing a
shire or
county in
parliament. --v.tr.
confer a knighthood
on. øknight
bachelor (pl. knights bachelor) a knight
not belonging to a
special order. knight
commander see COMMANDER. knight
errant 1 a
medieval knight wandering in
search of
chivalrous adventures. 2 a man of a chivalrous or
quixotic nature. knight-errantry the
practice or
conduct of a knight errant. Knight
Hospitaller (pl. Knights Hospitaller) a member of an order of monks
with a military
history, founded at Jerusalem c.1050. knight
marshal hist. an
officer of the
royal household with
judicial functions. knight of the road colloq. 1 a
highwayman. 2 a
commercial traveller. 3 a
tramp. 4 a
lorry driver or
taxi driver. knight-service hist. the
tenure of
land by military service. Knight
Templar (pl. Knights Templar) a member of a
religious and military order
for the
protection of pilgrims to the
Holy Land, suppressed in 1312. øøknighthood n. knightlike adj. knightly adj. & adv.
poet. knightliness n. [OE cniht
boy,
youth,
hero f. WG]
