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 che .— 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′le ( Spens. ), unbecoming a knight.— n. Knight′line , 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 .]