Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense 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. [beVERB-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.
5.
See knight in shining armour
More Synonyms of knight
knight in British English
(naɪt)
noun
1. (in medieval Europe)
a.
(originally) a person who served his lord as a mounted and heavily armed soldier
b.
(later) a gentleman invested by a king or other lord with the military and social standing of this rank
2.
(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
3.
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 squaresvertically
4.
a heroic champion of a lady or of a cause or principle
5.
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
1.
in the Middle Ages,
a.
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
b.
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
2.
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
3.
an ancient Roman, Athenian, etc. whose status is regarded as equivalent to that of a knight
4. [usuallyK-]
a member of any order or society that officially calls its members knights
5. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic
a.
a lady's devoted champion or attendant
b.
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
7.
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
More idioms containing
knight
a knight in shining armour
Examples of 'knight' in a sentence
knight
The white rook and knight have wandered far away from the defence of the king.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
An easier option would be to hold out for a white knight, but that would require yet another costly restructuring.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The 71-year-old new knight of the realm has one of music's most impressive back catalogues.
The Sun (2016)
He was friendly and pretended to make a knight's move on one of mum's designer boards for the local press.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The king and the knight still have moves left.
Christianity Today (2000)
What a comeback from the knight of the realm.
The Sun (2007)
Two medieval knights stand under an orange umbrella.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Who is his knight in shining armour?
The Sun (2015)
The one knight who led them bade them stand and hold their shields up into a wall.
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss THE WOLF AND THE DOVE
Potential white knights would then be offered some further limited financial backing.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Three times as many men are knighted as women are named a dame.
The Sun (2015)
Hence he protects his knight with his king.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Now many of them are knights of the realm.
The Sun (2008)
Medieval knights are supposed to have put tokens there.
Cameron, Kenneth M Into Africa - a social history of the East African Safari (1989)
Knights in armour fly in on wires.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We're not presenting ourselves as knights on white horses.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Or perhaps we should see the show as masochistic on the part of noble culinary knight Roux.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I have replaced this with a white knight, which makes no difference to the solution.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Word lists with
knight
chess
In other languages
knight
British English: knight NOUN
In medieval times, a knight was a man of noble birth, who served his king or lord in battle.
…the king's faithful knight.
American English: knight
Brazilian Portuguese: cavaleiro
Chinese: > 骑士中世纪的
European Spanish: caballero
French: chevalier
German: Ritter
Italian: cavaliere
Japanese: 騎士
Korean: 기사
European Portuguese: cavaleiro
Latin American Spanish: caballero
British English: knight VERB
If someone is knighted, they are given a knighthood.
He was knighted in that year.
American English: knight
Brazilian Portuguese: intitular cavaleiro
Chinese: > 骑士中世纪的
European Spanish: conceder el título de sir
French: nommer chevalier
German: adeln
Italian: fare cavaliere
Japanese: ナイト爵位を授ける
Korean: 기사 작위를 받다
European Portuguese: conceder título de cavaleiro
Latin American Spanish: conceder el título de sir
All related terms of 'knight'
grey knight
an ambiguous intervener in a takeover battle , who makes a counterbid for the shares of the target company without having made his or her intentions clear
black knight
a person or firm that makes an unwelcome takeover bid for a company
carpet knight
a soldier who tends to avoid battle ; idler
knight errant
(esp in medieval romance ) a knight who wanders in search of deeds of courage , chivalry , etc
white knight
A white knight is a person or an organization that rescues a company from difficulties such as financial problems or an unwelcome takeover bid.
knight bachelor
a person who has been knighted but who does not belong to any of the orders of knights
knight banneret
a knight who was entitled to command other knights and men-at-arms under his own banner
knight errantry
the practices of a knight errant
knight marshal
(in some armies and air forces) an officer of the highest rank
Knight Templar
a member of a military and religious order established among the Crusaders about 1118
knight of the road
a tramp
Knight of the Garter
a knight who belongs to the Order of the Garter
knight in shining armor
If you refer to someone as a knight in shining armor , you mean that they are kind and brave , and likely to rescue you from a difficult situation.
knight in shining armour
If you refer to someone as a knight in shining armour , you mean that they are kind and brave , and likely to rescue you from a difficult situation.
a knight in shining armour
a man who rescues you from a difficult situation
marshal
If you marshal people or things, you gather them together and arrange them for a particular purpose .
Chinese translation of 'knight'
knight
(naɪt)
n(c)
(Hist) 骑(騎)士 (qíshì) (名, míng)
(Chess) 马(馬) (mǎ) (匹, pǐ)
vt
封 ... 为(為)爵士 (fēng ... wéi juéshì)
(noun)
Definition
(in medieval Europe) a devoted male admirer of a noblewoman, esp. her champion in a jousting tournament
the bright tabards of the knights in armour
Synonyms
cavalier
equestrian
a record performance yet to be beaten by any other British equestrian
horseman
Geraldo was a fine horseman.
gallant
chevalier
champion
idiom
See knight in shining armour
Additional synonyms
in the sense of equestrian
a record performance yet to be beaten by any other British equestrian