chivalry

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chiv·al·ry

(shĭv′əl-rē)

n. pl. chiv·al·ries

1. The medieval system, principles, and customs of knighthood.

a. The qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women.

b. A manifestation of any of these qualities.

3. A group of knights or gallant gentlemen.

[Middle English chivalrie, from Old French chevalerie, from chevalier, knight; see chevalier.]

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.

chivalry

(ˈʃɪvəlrɪ)

n, pl -ries

1. (Historical Terms) the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, esp courage, honour, justice, and a readiness to help the weak

2. courteous behaviour, esp towards women

3. (Historical Terms) the medieval system and principles of knighthood

4. (Historical Terms) knights, noblemen, etc, collectively

[C13: from Old French chevalerie, from chevalier]

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

chiv•al•ry

(ˈʃɪv əl ri)

n., pl. -ries for 6.

1. the combination of qualities expected of a knight, including courage, generosity, and courtesy.

2. the institution or customs of medieval knighthood.

3. a group of knights or gallant gentlemen.

4. Archaic. a chivalrous act; gallant deed.

[1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French chevalerie <chevalier chevalier]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	chivalry - courtesy towards women politesse, gallantry good manners, courtesy - a courteous manner
	2.	chivalry - the medieval principles governing knighthood and knightly conduct knightliness principle - a rule or standard especially of good behavior; "a man of principle"; "he will not violate his principles"

chivalry

noun

1. courtesy, politeness, gallantry, courtliness, gentlemanliness He always treated women with old-fashioned chivalry.

2. knight-errantry, knighthood, gallantry, courtliness Our story is set in England, in the age of chivalry.

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

chivalry

noun

Respectful attention, especially toward women:

chivalrousness, gallantry.

Translations

شَهامَه، نَخْوَهنِظامُ الفُروسِيَّه

galantnostrytířskostrytířstvídvornost

ridderlighedridderskab

Ritterlichkeit Rittertum

caballería caballerosidad

chevalerie courtoisie

kurteisiriddaramennska

cavalleria

riterio kodeksasriteriškasriteriškumas

bruņniecībabruņnieciskums

hensyn ridderlighet ridderskap takt og tone

rycerskość

галантность

rytierskosť

kibarlık nezaketşövalyelik

殷勤有礼骑士精神

chivalry

[ˈʃɪvəlrɪ] N (= courteousness) → caballerosidad f; (in medieval times) → caballería f

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

chivalry

[ˈʃɪvəlri] n

(in the Middle Ages) → chevalerie f
the age of chivalry → l'âge de la chevalerie

(= politeness to women) → galanterie f

(= good behaviour) [soldier] → chevalerie f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

chivalry

n → Ritterlichkeit f; (medieval concept) → Rittertum nt; chivalry is not dead → es gibt noch Kavaliere

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

chivalry

[ˈʃɪv/əlrɪ] n → cavalleria

chivalry

(ˈʃivəlri) noun

1. kindness and courteousness especially towards women or the weak.

2. the principles of behaviour of medieval knights.

ˈchivalrous adjective

(negative unchivalrous).

References in classic literature ?

I said, name the day, and I would take fifty assistants and stand up AGAINST THE MASSED CHIVALRY OF THE WHOLE EARTH AND DESTROY IT.

Even the dullest of the chivalry perceived that this was a plain case of "put up, or shut up." They were wise and did the latter.

My idea was to attract the chivalry and nobility, and make them useful and keep them out of mischief.

View in context

And some passing observations, at least, in his book seem to indicate that if he knew and had shared all the splendor and inspiration of the last years of medieval chivalry, he had experienced also the disappointment and bitterness of defeat and prolonged captivity.

But these faults also may be overlooked, and the work is truly great, partly because it is an idealist's dream of chivalry, as chivalry might have been, a chivalry of faithful knights who went about redressing human wrongs and were loyal lovers and zealous servants of Holy Church; great also because Malory's heart is in his stories, so that he tells them in the main well, and invests them with a delightful atmosphere of romance which can never lose its fascination.

View in context

Theresa's passionate, ideal nature demanded an epic life: what were many-volumed romances of chivalry and the social conquests of a brilliant girl to her?

View in context

You must know, then, that the above-named gentleman whenever he was at leisure (which was mostly all the year round) gave himself up to reading books of chivalry with such ardour and avidity that he almost entirely neglected the pursuit of his field-sports, and even the management of his property; and to such a pitch did his eagerness and infatuation go that he sold many an acre of tillageland to buy books of chivalry to read, and brought home as many of them as he could get.

View in context

Chivalry is that, and loyalty is that, and, in English literature, half the drama, and all the novels, from Sir Philip Sidney to Sir Walter Scott, paint this figure.

The point of distinction in all this class of names, as courtesy, chivalry, fashion, and the like, is that the flower and fruit, not the grain of the tree, are contemplated.

We contemn in turn every other gift of men of the world; but the habit even in little and the least matters of not appealing to any but our own sense of propriety, constitutes the foundation of all chivalry. There is almost no kind of self-reliance, so it be sane and proportioned, which fashion does not occasionally adopt and give it the freedom of its saloons.

View in context

The heralds finished their proclamation with their usual cry of ``Largesse, largesse, gallant knights!'' and gold and silver pieces were showered on them from the galleries, it being a high point of chivalry to exhibit liberality towards those whom the age accounted at once the secretaries and the historians of honour.