knight
Pluralknights
Verbknights, knighting, knighted
Pluralknights
Formsknights, knighting, knighted
- 1In the past, a soldier of high rank who wore armor and fought on a horse.
The knight rode into battle in shining armor.
At the castle museum we saw a knight's helmet and sword.
Note
- 2A person who has been given a special honor called a knighthood, usually by a king or queen.
The queen made the old actor a knight for his work in films.
Two of the new knights on this year's list are scientists.
UsageSay Sir and the first name: Sir Paul.
- 3A chess piece, often shaped like a horse's head, that moves in an L shape and can jump over other pieces.
My knight jumped over two pawns to reach the middle of the board.
She moved her knight and attacked my queen and my rook at once.
Note
- 4To give someone the special title of knight.
The queen will knight the famous writer next month.
The king knighted the brave young soldier after the battle.
UsageSay someone was knighted.
Similardub
Note
- 5A brave, kind and honest man who is loyal to a good cause or to someone he loves.
To her, he was a true knight who would do anything to keep her safe.
He was a knight for the poor, always speaking up for families who had no one else.
UsagePeople say a knight in shining armor for a man who saves someone.
- 6A member of a club or brotherhood whose members are called knights, such as the Knights of Columbus.
My grandfather was a Knight of Columbus for over forty years.
The knights from our church are cooking pancakes for the town on Sunday.
UsageWrite Knight with a capital K in a club name.
Note
Less common meanings
- 7In the past, someone who had to give a lord a knight's service in return for keeping land.
The knight could keep his farmland only as long as he served the lord in war.
As a knight, he held his land in return for serving his lord.
Note
- 8
- 9To turn a pawn into a knight in a game of chess.
She knighted her last pawn and won the game two moves later.
You can knight the pawn here and attack the king.
Note
- 10
- 11One of a group of mushrooms that scientists call Tricholoma.
We found a knight growing under the pine trees, its gray cap covered in needles.
Some knights are poisonous, so never eat one you are not sure about.
- 12One of a few butterflies in a group that scientists call Ypthima, such as the dusky knight of Australia.
On our trip to Australia, we saw a dusky knight in the grass.
A dusky knight sat still on a blade of grass in the sun.
Note
- 13A kind of butterfly that lives in the warm parts of Asia.
On our trip to Thailand, we saw a knight resting on a leaf in the forest.
The knight is one butterfly I hope to see when I visit Malaysia.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
It comes from an Old English word meaning "boy" or "servant".
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- Knight derives from Old English cniht, meaning boy or servant. en.wiktionary.org
The verb was made long ago from the noun "knight".
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- The verb knight was formed from the noun in Middle English, supporting 'long ago'. en.wiktionary.org