Definition of 'knight'

knight

(naɪt )

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense knights , present participle knighting , past tense, past participle knighted

1. countable noun

In medieval times, a knight was a man of noble birth, who served his king or lord in battle.

2. verb [usually passive]

If someone is knighted, they are given a knighthood.

He was knighted in the Queen's birthday honours list in June 1988. [be VERB-ed]

3. countable noun

A knight is a man who has been knighted.

4. countable noun

In chess, a knight is a piece which is shaped like a horse's head.

See knight in shining armour

More Synonyms of knight

knight in British English

(naɪt )

noun

1. (in medieval Europe)

( originally) a person who served his lord as a mounted and heavily armed soldier

( later) a gentleman invested by a king or other lord with the military and social standing of this rank

(in modern times) a man invested by a sovereign with a nonhereditary rank and dignity usually in recognition of personal services, achievements, etc. A British knight bears the title Sir placed before his name, as in Sir Winston Churchill

a chess piece, usually shaped like a horse's head, that moves either two squares horizontally and one square vertically or one square horizontally and two squares vertically

a heroic champion of a lady or of a cause or principle

a member of the Roman class of the equites

verb

6. (transitive)

to make (a person) a knight; dub

Word origin

Old English cniht servant; related to Old High German kneht boy

Knight in British English

(naɪt )

noun

Dame Laura. 1887–1970, British painter, noted for her paintings of Gypsies, the ballet, and the circus

knight in American English

(naɪt )

noun

in the Middle Ages,

a military servant of a king or other feudal superior; tenant holding land on condition that he serve his superior as a mounted man-at-arms

later, a man, usually one of high birth, who after serving as page and squire was formally raised to special military rank and pledged to chivalrous conduct

in Great Britain, a man who for some achievement is given honorary nonhereditary rank next below a baronet, entitling him to use Sir before his given name

an ancient Roman, Athenian, etc. whose status is regarded as equivalent to that of a knight

4. [usually K-]

a member of any order or society that officially calls its members knights

5. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic

a lady's devoted champion or attendant

a devoted follower of some cause, person, etc.

6. Chess

a piece usually shaped like a horse's head: it is moved one square, whether occupied or unoccupied, in any vertical or horizontal direction, and then one square farther diagonally

verb transitive

to make (a man) a knight

Word origin

ME kniht < OE cniht, boy, retainer, akin to Ger knecht, lad, servant < IE *gnegh-: for base see knead

knight in American English

(nait)

noun

a mounted soldier serving under a feudal superior in the Middle Ages

2. (in Europe in the Middle Ages)

a man, usually of noble birth, who after an apprenticeship as page and squire was raised to honorable military rank and bound to chivalrous conduct

any person of a rank similar to that of the medieval knight

a man upon whom the nonhereditary dignity of knighthood is conferred by a sovereign because of personal merit or for services rendered to the country. In Great Britain he holds the rank next below that of a baronet, and the title Sir is prefixed to the Christian name, as in Sir John Smith

a member of any order or association that designates its members as knights

6. Chess

a piece shaped like a horse's head, moved one square vertically and then two squares horizontally or one square horizontally and two squares vertically

7. Nautical

a short vertical timber having on its head a sheave through which running rigging is rove

any other fitting or erection bearing such a sheave

transitive verb

to dub or make (a man) a knight

Derived forms

knightless

adjective

Word origin

[bef. 900; ME; OE cniht boy, manservant; c. G, D knecht servant]

Examples of 'knight' in a sentence
knight

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The white rook and knight have wandered far away from the defence of the king.An easier option would be to hold out for a white knight, but that would require yet another costly restructuring.The 71-year-old new knight of the realm has one of music's most impressive back catalogues.He was friendly and pretended to make a knight's move on one of mum's designer boards for the local press.The king and the knight still have moves left.What a comeback from the knight of the realm.Two medieval knights stand under an orange umbrella.Who is his knight in shining armour?The one knight who led them bade them stand and hold their shields up into a wall. Potential white knights would then be offered some further limited financial backing.