[don kee-hoh-tee, don kwik-suh
t; Sp. dawn kee-haw-te] 
| 1. | the hero of a novel by Cervantes who was inspired by lofty and chivalrous but impractical ideals. |
| 2. | (italics) (Don Quixote de la Mancha) the novel itself (1605 and 1615). |
| Don Qui·xo·te (kē-hō'tē, kwĭk'sət) n. An impractical idealist bent on righting incorrigible wrongs. [After Don Quixote, hero of a satirical chivalric romance by Miguel de Cervantes.] |
(1605–1615) A novel by Miguel de Cervantes. The hero, Don Quixote (don is a Spanish title of honor), loses his wits from reading too many romances and comes to believe that he is a knight destined to revive the golden age of chivalry. A tall, gaunt man in armor, he has many comical adventures with his fat squire, Sancho Panza.
Note: A person who is both idealistic and impractical is often said to be “quixotic.”