Definition of knight in English

WordNet

Noun Plural: knights
knight - originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
		male aristocrat a man who is an aristocrat
		carpet knight a knight who spends his time in luxury and idleness (knighted on the carpet at court rather than on the field of battle)
		bachelor-at-arms, knight bachelor, bachelor a knight of the lowest order; could display only a pennon
		banneret, knight banneret, knight of the square flag a knight honored for valor; entitled to display a square banner and to hold higher command
		knight of the round table in the Arthurian legend, a knight of King Arthur's court
		knight-errant a wandering knight travelling in search of adventure
		templar, knight templar a knight of a religious military order established in 1118 to protect pilgrims and the Holy Sepulcher
knight - a chessman shaped to resemble the head of a horse; can move two squares horizontally and one vertically (or vice versa)
		horse
		chess piece, chessman any of 16 white and 16 black pieces used in playing the game of chess
Verb knights, knighting, knighted
knight - raise (someone) to knighthood; "The Beatles were knighted"
		dub
		ennoble, entitle, gentle give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

knight (Noun)
A warrior, especially of the Middle Ages .
knight (Noun)
A young servant or follower; a military attendant.
knight (Noun)
Nowadays, a person on whom a knighthood has been conferred by a monarch.
knight (Noun)
A chess piece , often in the shape of a horse's head, that is moved two squares in one direction and one at right angles to that direction in a single move, leaping over any intervening pieces.
knight (Noun)
A playing card bearing the figure of a knight; the knave or jack.
knight (Verb)
To confer knighthood upon.
knight (Verb)
To promote a pawn to a knight.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

knight (n.)
A young servant or follower; a military attendant.
knight (n.)
In feudal times, a man-at-arms serving on horseback and admitted to a certain military rank with special ceremonies, including an oath to protect the distressed, maintain the right, and live a stainless life.
knight (n.)
One on whom knighthood, a dignity next below that of baronet, is conferred by the sovereign, entitling him to be addressed as Sir; as, Sir John.
knight (n.)
A champion; a partisan; a lover.
knight (n.)
A piece used in the game of chess, usually bearing a horse's head.
knight (n.)
A playing card bearing the figure of a knight; the knave or jack.
knight (v. t.)
To dub or create (one) a knight; -- done in England by the sovereign only, who taps the kneeling candidate with a sword, saying: Rise, Sir ---.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

knight
A piece in the game of chess often shaped to resemble the head of a horse.
knight
A title of nobilty or gentility applied exclusively to males, originating in the Middle Ages. Their principal duty was to fight as heavy cavalry.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

knight
nīt, n. one of gentle birth and bred to arms, admitted in feudal times to a certain honourable military rank: (Shak.) an attendant: a champion: the rank, with the title 'Sir,' next below baronets: a piece used in the game of chess.—v.t. to create a knight.—ns. Knight′age, the collective body of knights; Knight′-bach′elor, one who has been knighted merely, not made a member of any titular order; Knight′-bann′eret, a knight who carried a banner, and who was superior in rank to the knight-bachelor; Knight′-err′ant, a knight who travelled in search of adventures; Knight′-err′antry; Knight′hood, the character or privilege of a knight: the order or fraternity of knights; Knight′hood-err′ant (Tenn.), the body of knights-errant.—adj. Knight′less (Spens.), unbecoming a knight.—n. Knight′liness, the bearing or duties of a knight.—adj. and adv. Knight′ly.—ns. Knight′-mar′shal, formerly an officer of the royal household; Knight′-serv′ice, tenure by a knight on condition of military service.—Knight of industry, a footpad, thief, or sharper; Knight of the carpet, a civil knight, as opposed to a military, so called because created kneeling on a carpet, not the field; Knight of the pestle, an apothecary; Knight of the post, one familiar with the whipping-post or pillory; Knight of the road, a highwayman; Knight of the shire, a member of parliament for a county; Knight's fee, the amount of land with which a knight was invested on his creation; Knights of Labour, in the United States, a national labour organisation; Knights of Malta (see Hospitaller); Knights of St Crispin, shoemakers; Knights of the rainbow, flunkeys from their liveries; Knights of the shears, tailors; Knights of the spigot, tapsters, publicans; Knights of the stick, compositors; Knights of the whip, coachmen; Knights Templars (see Templar). [A.S. cniht Ger. and Dut. knecht, Dan. knegt.]

Military DictionaryMilitary Dictionary and Gazetteer 💥

knight
From the Saxon cniht, a servant or attendant, was originally a man-at-arms bound to the performance of certain duties, among others to attend his sovereign or feudal superior on horseback in time of war. The institution of knighthood, as conferred by investiture, and with certain oaths and ceremonies, arose gradually throughout Europe as an adjunct of the feudal system. The character of the knight was at once military and religious; the defense of the Holy Sepulchre and the protection of pilgrims being the objects to which, in early times of the institution, he especially devoted himself The system of knight-service introduced into England by William the Conqueror empowered the king, or even a superior lord who was a subject, to compel every holder of a certain extent of land, called a knight’s fee, to become a member of the knightly order; his investiture being accounted proof that he possessed the requisite knightly arms, and was sufficiently trained in their use. After the long war between France and England, it became the practice for the sovereign to receive money compensations from subjects who were unwilling to receive knighthood, a system out of which grew a series of grievances, leading eventually to the total abolition of knight-service in the reign of Charles II. Since the abolition of knight-service, knighthood has been conferred, without any regard to property, as a mark of the sovereign’s esteem, or a reward for services of any kind, civil or military. The ceremonies practiced in conferring knighthood have varied at different periods. In general, some religious ceremonies were performed, the sword and spurs were bound on the candidate; after which a blow was dealt him on the cheek or shoulder, as the last affront which he was to receive unrequited. He then took an oath to protect the distressed, maintain right against might, and never by word or deed to stain his character as a knight and a Christian. A knight might be degraded for the infringement of any part of his oath, in which case his spurs were chopped off with a hatchet, his sword was broken, his escutcheon reversed, and some religious observances were added, during which each piece of armor was taken off in succession, and cast from the recreant knight. For the different orders of knighthood, see separate articles, under their appropriate headings, in this work.

Wikipedia

A knight was a soldier in the Middle Ages. Knights were vassals to lords, who would give them land if the knight would fight for them. Knights thought honour was very important, and they had a code of honour called chivalry. They often had a house of arms. Knights today are named by the Queen. This form of title is known as the Order of the British Empire. Knights today are called 'Sir' and then their first name.
chess
A knight (sometimes said as horse) is a piece in the game of chess. It moves in an L pattern. Each player starts the game with two knights.