[syn: chivalrous, gallant, knightly]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gallant \Gal"lant\ (g[a^]l"lant), a. [F. gallant, prop. p. pr.
of OF. galer to rejoice, akin to OF. gale amusement, It. gala
ornament; of German origin; cf. OHG. geil merry, luxuriant,
wanton, G. geil lascivious, akin to AS. g[=a]l wanton,
wicked, OS. g[=e]l merry, Goth. gailjan to make to rejoice,
or perh. akin to E. weal. See Gala, Galloon.]
[1913 Webster]
1. Showy; splendid; magnificent; gay; well-dressed.
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The town is built in a very gallant place. --Evelyn.
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Our royal, good and gallant ship. --Shak.
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2. Noble in bearing or spirit; brave; high-spirited;
courageous; heroic; magnanimous; as, a gallant youth; a
gallant officer.
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That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds. --Shak.
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The gay, the wise, the gallant, and the grave.
--Waller.
Syn: Gallant, Courageous, Brave.
Usage: Courageous is generic, denoting an inward spirit which
rises above fear; brave is more outward, marking a
spirit which braves or defies danger; gallant rises
still higher, denoting bravery on extraordinary
occasions in a spirit of adventure. A courageous man
is ready for battle; a brave man courts it; a gallant
man dashes into the midst of the conflict.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gallant \Gal*lant"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gallanted; p. pr. &
vb. n. Gallanting.]
1. To attend or wait on, as a lady; as, to gallant ladies to
the play.
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2. To handle with grace or in a modish manner; as, to gallant
a fan. [Obs.] --Addison.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gallant \Gal*lant"\ (?; 277), a.
Polite and attentive to ladies; courteous to women;
chivalrous.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Gallant \Gal*lant"\ (?; 277), n.
1. A man of mettle or spirit; a gay, fashionable man; a young
blood. --Shak.
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2. One fond of paying attention to ladies.
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3. One who wooes; a lover; a suitor; in a bad sense, a
seducer. --Addison.
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Note: In the first sense it is by some ortho["e]pists (as in
Shakespeare) accented on the first syllable.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
gallant
adj 1: unflinching in battle or action; "a gallant warrior";
"put up a gallant resistance to the attackers"
2: lively and spirited; "a dashing hero" [syn: dashing,
gallant]
3: having or displaying great dignity or nobility; "a gallant
pageant"; "lofty ships"; "majestic cities"; "proud alpine
peaks" [syn: gallant, lofty, majestic, proud]
4: being attentive to women like an ideal knight [syn:
chivalrous, gallant, knightly]
n 1: a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
[syn: dandy, dude, fop, gallant, sheik, beau,
swell, fashion plate, clotheshorse]
2: a man who attends or escorts a woman [syn: squire,
gallant]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
204 Moby Thesaurus words for "gallant":
Achilles, Beau Brummel, Casanova, David, Don Juan, Hector,
Lothario, Roland, Romeo, Samson, a man, abandoned, admirer, adorer,
amorist, amoroso, attentive, beau, beloved, blade, blood, bold,
bold-spirited, boulevardier, boyfriend, brave, bravura, braw, buck,
bulldog, caballero, cavalier, cavaliere servente, ceremonious,
champion, chevalier, chichi, chivalric, chivalrous, chutzpanik,
clotheshorse, considerate, courageous, courteous, courtly, coxcomb,
dandy, daring, dashing, date, dauntless, debauched, debauchee,
decorated hero, demigod, demigoddess, dignified, dirty old man,
dissipated, dissolute, doughty, dressy, dude, elegant, escort,
esquire, exhibitionistic, exquisite, fashion plate, fast, fearless,
fellow, fighting cock, fine, fine gentleman, flame, flashing,
flashy, flaunting, fop, formal, free, fribble, frilly, frothy,
game, gamecock, gay, gay deceiver, gay dog, gentlemanly, gigolo,
glittering, glorious, good soldier, gracious, grand, greathearted,
hardy, hero, heroic, heroine, herolike, high-spirited, imposing,
inamorato, intrepid, ironhearted, jack-a-dandy, jackanapes, jaunty,
jazzy, knight, knightlike, knightly, lady-killer, lecher,
libertine, licentious, lion, lionhearted, lothario, lounge lizard,
love-maker, lover, lover-boy, macaroni, magnificent, majestic, man,
man of courage, man-about-town, manful, manly, mannerly, masher,
mettlesome, necker, noble, old man, old-fashioned, old-world,
paladin, paramour, petter, philanderer, plucky, polite, profligate,
puppy, rake, rakehell, rakehellish, rakehelly, rakish, rip, roue,
rounder, satyr, seducer, sheik, showy, skirt chaser, snazzy,
soldierlike, soldierly, spark, sparker, splashy, splendid, splurgy,
sport, sporty, squire, stalwart, stately, stout, stouthearted,
suave, sugar daddy, suitor, swain, sweetheart, swell, swinger,
the brave, thoughtful, tiger, unafraid, unbridled, undaunted,
urbane, valiant, valiant knight, valorous, walking phallus, wanton,
well-bred, wild, wolf, woman chaser, womanizer, wooer, young man