cavalier

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Related to cavalier: Cavalier poets

cav·a·lier

(kăv′ə-lîr′)

1. A gallant or chivalrous man, especially one serving as escort to a woman of high social position; a gentleman.

2. A mounted soldier; a knight.

3. Cavalier A supporter of Charles I of England in his struggles against Parliament. Also called Royalist.

adj.

1. Showing arrogant or offhand disregard; dismissive: a cavalier attitude toward the suffering of others.

2. Carefree and nonchalant; jaunty.

3. Cavalier Of or relating to a group of 17th-century English poets associated with the court of Charles I.

[French, horseman, from Old Italian cavaliere, from Late Latin caballārius, from Latin caballus, horse; akin to Greek kaballēs, work horse, both Greek and Latin probably ultimately from an Iranian source (compare Khotanese kabä, horse, and Persian kaval, a slow, clumsy horse), from Old Iranian *kaba-, *kabala-, horse, akin to Late Latin cabō, gelding, and Old Church Slavonic kobyla, mare, and perhaps ultimately of Proto-Indo-European origin.]

cav′a·lier′ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cavalier

(ˌkævəˈlɪə)

adj

showing haughty disregard; offhand

1. (Historical Terms) a gallant or courtly gentleman, esp one acting as a lady's escort

2. (Horse Training, Riding & Manège) archaic a horseman, esp one who is armed

[C16: from Italian cavaliere, from Old Provençal cavalier, from Late Latin caballārius rider, from caballus horse, of obscure origin]

ˌcavaˈlierly adv

Cavalier

(ˌkævəˈlɪə)

(Historical Terms) a supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War. Compare Roundhead

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cav•a•lier

(ˌkæv əˈlɪər, ˈkæv əˌlɪər)

n., adj. n.

1. a horseman, esp. a mounted soldier; knight.

2. one having the spirit or bearing of a knight; a courtly gentleman; gallant.

3. the male escort or dancing partner of a woman.

4. (cap.) an adherent of Charles I of England in his dispute with Parliament.

adj.

5. haughty, disdainful, or supercilious.

6. casual; lighthearted.

7. (cap.) of or pertaining to Cavaliers or Cavalier poets.

[1590–1600; < Middle French: horseman, knight < Italian cavaliere < Old Provençal < Late Latin caballārius, derivative of Latin caball(us) horse]

cav`a•lier′ism, cav`a•lier′ness, n.

cav`a•lier′ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	cavalier - a gallant or courtly gentleman chevalier male aristocrat - a man who is an aristocrat
	2.	Cavalier - a royalist supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War Royalist monarchist, royalist - an advocate of the principles of monarchy
Adj.	1.	cavalier - given to haughty disregard of others high-handed domineering - tending to domineer

cavalier

adjective offhand, lordly, arrogant, lofty, curt, condescending, haughty, scornful, disdainful, insolent, supercilious He has always had a cavalier attitude towards other people's feelings.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

فارِس

jezdeckavalírrytíř

ridder

Reiter Ritter

cavalier indifférent

reiîmaîur, riddari

altezzoso arrogante cavalcatore cavaliere sdegnoso

raitelisriteris

jātniekskavalērists

ridder

şövalye süvari

骑士

cavalier

[ˌkævəˈlɪəʳ]

A. N → caballero m (archaic) → galán m (Brit) (Hist) partidario del Rey en la Guerra Civil inglesa (1641-49)

B. ADJ (pej) (= offhand) → desdeñoso

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

cavalier

[ˌkævəˈlɪə^r]

adj [attitude, behaviour] → cavalier/ère, désinvolte

n (= knight) → cavalier m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

cavalier

n (= horseman, knight) → Kavalier m; Cavalier (Hist) → Kavalier m

adj

the Cavalier resistance (Hist) → der Widerstand der Kavaliere

(= offhand) person, nature, attitude, approach → unbekümmert; disregard, overruling also → ungeniert, kalt lächelnd; … he said in his cavalier fashion → … sagte er leichthin; treat it seriously, don’t be so cavalier → nehmen Sie das ernst, und gehen Sie nicht so leichthin darüber hinweg

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

cavalier

[ˌkævəˈlɪəʳ]

1. n (knight) → cavaliere m

2. adj (pej) (offhand, person) → brusco/a; (attitude) → non curante

cavalier

(kӕvəˈliə) noun

in former times, a horseman or knight.

References in classic literature ?

Here are two written by Richard Lovelace, the very model of a gay cavalier. While he was at Oxford, King Charles saw him and made him M.A.

James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, was another cavalier poet whose fine, sad story you will read in history.

View in context

At the end of five minutes they perceived the carriage drawn up by the roadside; a cavalier, richly dressed, was close to the door.

The conversation between Milady and the cavalier was so animated that D'Artagnan stopped on the other side of the carriage without anyone but the pretty SOUBRETTE perceiving his presence.

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But, Edricson, do I not see a cavalier who rides down yonder road amongst the nether shaw?

I do not think that any honorable cavalier could ask for better chance of advancement than might be had by spurring forth before the army and riding to the gateways of Narbonne, or Bergerac or Mont Giscar, where some courteous gentleman would ever be at wait to do what he might to meet your wish or ease you of your vow.

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The cavalier who had addressed Don Quixote again approached him and said, "Come with us, Senor Don Quixote, for we are all of us your servants and great friends of Roque Guinart's;" to which Don Quixote returned, "If courtesy breeds courtesy, yours, sir knight, is daughter or very nearly akin to the great Roque's; carry me where you please; I will have no will but yours, especially if you deign to employ it in your service."

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The prince procured for Marie Michon the dress of a cavalier and for Kitty that of a lackey; he sent them two excellent horses, and the fugitives went out hastily from Tours, shaping their course toward Spain, trembling at the least noise, following unfrequented roads, and asking for hospitality when they found themselves where there was no inn."

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He who starts on a deliberate quest of adventure goes forth but to gather dead-sea fruit, unless, indeed, he be beloved of the gods and great amongst heroes, like that most excellent cavalier Don Quixote de la Mancha.

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Mademoiselle de Montalais was right; the young cavalier was goodly to look upon.

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All at once, a great galloping of horses filled the neighboring streets, and, with a long file of torches and a thick column of cavaliers, with free reins and lances in rest, these furious sounds debouched on the Place like a hurricane,--

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Rupert's Cavaliers were every bit as particular about their lace collars and frills as the lady whose pretty limbs once warmed this cambric.