■ noun
1》 (in the Middle Ages) a man raised to honourable military rank after service as a page and squire.
↘(also ~ of the shire ) historical a gentleman representing a shire or county in Parliament.
↘ literary a man devoted to a cause or the service of a woman.
2》 (in the UK) a man awarded a non-hereditary title by the sovereign and entitled to use the honorific ‘Sir’ in front of his name.
3》 a chess piece, typically shaped like a horse's head, that moves by jumping to the opposite corner of a rectangle two squares by three.
4》 (in ancient Rome) a member of the class of equites.
5》 (in ancient Greece) a citizen of the second class in Athens, called hippeus in Greek.
■ verb invest with the title of ~.
Phrases
~ in shining armour (or ~ on a white charger ) an idealized chivalrous man.
~ of the road informal a man who frequents the roads, e.g. a salesman, tramp, or (formerly) a highwayman.
Derivatives
~liness noun
~ly adjective
Origin
OE cniht 'boy, youth, servant', of W. Gmc origin.