Word of the Day

: January 25, 2007

chivalry

noun SHIV-ul-ree

What It Means

1 : mounted men-at-arms

2 : the system or practices of knighthood

3 : the conduct, spirit, or character of the ideal knight

chivalry in Context

"Chivalry is not completely dead," thought Alice when the man on the subway rose to offer her his seat.

Did You Know?

In days of old when knights were bold, Anglo-French speakers used the word "chevaler" (an ancestor of our word "chevalier") for a knight or horseman. By the 14th century, English speakers had adopted the slightly modified spelling "chivalry" to describe their own well-armored, mounted warriors. Nowadays, when we say that chivalry is not dead, we are alluding to the high standard of character and conduct typically associated with gallant knights. If you trace "chevaler" back to Late Latin, you'll find that it derives from "caballarius," which is also the ancestor of another term for a daring medieval gentleman-at-arms: "cavalier."