Link Centre Dictionary

gallant

gal·lant

UK/ɡəˈlænt/ US/ˈɡælənt/ fairly common
noun (2) adjective (4)

noun

1.
2.

a man who attends or escorts a woman

Synonyms

adjective

1.

unflinching in battle or action

  • “a gallant warrior”
  • “put up a gallant resistance to the attackers”
Similar
2.

lively and spirited

  • “a dashing hero”
Synonyms
Similar
3.

having or displaying great dignity or nobility

  • “a gallant pageant”
  • “lofty ships”
  • “majestic cities”
  • “proud alpine peaks”
Synonyms
Similar
4.

having the qualities of gallantry attributed to an ideal knight

Synonyms
Similar

Origin

From Middle English galant, galaunt, from Old French galant (“courteous; dashing; brave”), present participle of galer (“to rejoice; make merry”), from gale (“pomp; show; festivity; mirth”); either from Frankish *wala (“good, well”), a variant form of *wela, from Proto-Germanic *wela (whence well), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”); or alternatively from Frankish *gail (“merry; mirthful; proud; luxuriant”), from Proto-Germanic *gailaz (“merry; excited; luxurious”), related to Dutch geil (“horny; lascivious; salacious; lecherous”), German geil (“randy; horny; lecherous; wicked”), Old English gāl (“wanton; wicked; bad”).

Phrases

  • gallant soldier

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.