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Glite Dictionary
knight errantry

knight errantry

9.9
The practice of knights traveling to find brave, noble adventures
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : caballería
  • The spirit of knight errantry lives on in those who seek to help others and embark on noble quests.

Examples

  • Viewed in this light, every young fellow in khaki whom we see marching through our streets has something of the glory of knight-errantry shed on his commonplace figure, and it would be hardly too much to say that in many cases the cause seems to make the hero; and when we read of "the magnificent conduct of our troops at the front," we thank God with tears in our eyes.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Romantic love is now as alien to us as knight errantry, and young men are no more likely to court a woman than to wear a suit of armor, not only because it is not fitting, but because it would be offensive to women.

    Blog text (9)

  • "The work of knight-errantry calls me.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • "But having to carry my head in one arm impedes me from my work of knight-errantry.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • In tales of old, the valorous knight errantry took many brave souls across uncharted lands in search of adventure.

  • He dedicated his life to the ideals of knight errantry, believing that every noble deed could change the world.

Synonyms

chivalry
vsknight errantry
6 7.4

Rules and ideas knights followed in the Middle Ages, such as bravery and honor

is centered on traveling to seek deeds rather than only a moral code
errantry
vsknight errantry
  • Archaic
9.9

The act of travelling to find adventure, like a knight on a quest

is about traveling to perform both adventurous acts and chivalrous deeds
knightliness
vsknight errantry
  • Archaic
9.3

Being brave, honest, and polite while protecting people

focuses on active traveling in search of chivalrous deeds

How Chivalrous

knight errantry
  • Archaic
9.9
chivalry
11 6.5
politeness
26 1.3

Surface Forms

knight errantry singular
knight errantries plural

Morphology

knight + errantry

The meaning is directly compositional: 'knight' (a mounted/armored hero) combined with 'errantry' (the practice of wandering/adventurous deeds) yields the practice or behavior of a wandering knight. Although 'errantry' is somewhat archaic/rare in usage, if a learner knows both constituents the overall sense is immediately derivable and follows regular compound/nominalization patterns.

Etymology

Knight errantry comes from old stories about a lone knight who wandered from place to place looking for fights and good deeds. That's why the phrase means the practice or ideal of travelling in search of 'adventure' and 'heroic deeds'.