4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Knight  \Knight\,  n.  [OE.  knight,  cniht  knight,  soldier,  As 
  cniht  cneoht  a  boy,  youth,  attendant,  military  follower; 
  akin  to  D.  &  G.  knecht  servant;  perh.  akin  to  E.  kin.] 
  1.  A  young  servant  or  follower;  a  military  attendant.  [Obs.] 
 
  2. 
  a  In  feudal  times,  a  man-at-arms  serving  on  horseback 
  and  admitted  to  a  certain  military  rank  with  special 
  ceremonies,  including  an  oath  to  protect  the 
  distressed,  maintain  the  right  and  live  a  stainless 
  life. 
  b  One  on  whom  knighthood,  a  dignity  next  below  that  of 
  baronet,  is  conferred  by  the  sovereign,  entitling  him 
  to  be  addressed  as  Sir;  as  Sir  John.  [Eng.]  Hence: 
  c  A  champion;  a  partisan;  a  lover.  ``Give  this  ring  to 
  my  true  knight.''  Shak  ``In  all  your  quarrels  will  I 
  be  your  knight.''  --Tennyson. 
 
  Knights,  by  their  oaths,  should  right  poor 
  ladies'  harms.  --Shak. 
 
  Note:  Formerly,  when  a  knight's  name  was  not  known  it  was 
  customary  to  address  him  as  Sir  Knight.  The  rank  of  a 
  knight  is  not  hereditary. 
 
  3.  A  piece  used  in  the  game  of  chess,  usually  bearing  a 
  horse's  head. 
 
  4.  A  playing  card  bearing  the  figure  of  a  knight;  the  knave 
  or  jack.  [Obs.] 
 
  {Carpet  knight}.  See  under  {Carpet}. 
 
  {Knight  of  industry}.  See  {Chevalier  d'industrie},  under 
  {Chevalier}. 
 
  {Knight  of  Malta},  {Knight  of  Rhodes},  {Knight  of  St  John  of 
  Jerusalem}.  See  {Hospitaler}. 
 
  {Knight  of  the  post},  one  who  gained  his  living  by  giving 
  false  evidence  on  trials,  or  false  bail;  hence  a  sharper 
  in  general.  --Nares.  ``A  knight  of  the  post  .  .  .  quoth 
  he  for  so  I  am  termed;  a  fellow  that  will  swear  you 
  anything  for  twelve  pence.''  --Nash. 
 
  {Knight  of  the  shire},  in  England,  one  of  the  representatives 
  of  a  county  in  Parliament,  in  distinction  from  the 
  representatives  of  cities  and  boroughs. 
 
  {Knights  commanders},  {Knights  grand  cross},  different 
  classes  of  the  Order  of  the  Bath.  See  under  {Bath},  and 
  {Companion}. 
 
  {Knights  of  labor},  a  secret  organization  whose  professed 
  purpose  is  to  secure  and  maintain  the  rights  of  workingmen 
  as  respects  their  relations  to  their  employers.  [U.  S.] 
 
  {Knights  of  Pythias},  a  secret  order  founded  in  Washington, 
  d.C.,  in  1864,  for  social  and  charitable  purposes. 
 
  {Knights  of  the  Round  Table},  knights  belonging  to  an  order 
  which  according  to  the  legendary  accounts,  was  instituted 
  by  the  mythical  King  Arthur.  They  derived  their  common 
  title  from  the  table  around  which  they  sat  on  certain 
  solemn  days.  --Brande  &  C. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Knight  \Knight\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Knighted};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Knighting}.] 
  To  dub  or  create  one  a  knight;  --  done  in  England  by  the 
  sovereign  only,  who  taps  the  kneeling  candidate  with  a  sword, 
  saying:  Rise,  Sir  ---. 
 
  A  soldier,  by  the  honor-giving  hand  Of  C?ur-de-Lion 
  knighted  in  the  field.  --Shak. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  knight 
  n  1:  originally  a  person  of  noble  birth  trained  to  arms  and 
  chivalry;  today  in  Great  Britain  a  person  honored  by  the 
  sovereign  for  personal  merit 
  2:  a  chessman  in  the  shape  of  a  horse's  head;  can  move  two 
  squares  horizontally  and  one  vertically  (or  vice  versa) 
  [syn:  {horse}] 
  v  1:  raise  someone  to  knighthood;  "The  Beatles  were  knighted" 
  2:  invest  with  knighthood;  make  of  knight  of  [syn:  {dub}] 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  KNIGHT,  n. 
 
  Once  a  warrior  gentle  of  birth, 
  Then  a  person  of  civic  worth, 
  Now  a  fellow  to  move  our  mirth. 
  Warrior,  person,  and  fellow  --  no  more: 
  We  must  knight  our  dogs  to  get  any  lower. 
  Brave  Knights  Kennelers  then  shall  be 
  Noble  Knights  of  the  Golden  Flea, 
  Knights  of  the  Order  of  St  Steboy 
  Knights  of  St  Gorge  and  Sir  Knights  Jawy. 
  God  speed  the  day  when  this  knighting  fad 
  Shall  go  to  the  dogs  and  the  dogs  go  mad. 
 
 

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