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Definition of palfrey - 4 dictionary results

pal⋅frey

[pawl-free]
–noun, plural -freys.
1. a riding horse, as distinguished from a war horse.
2. a saddle horse particularly suitable for a woman.

Origin:
1200–50; ME palefrei < OF < LL paraverēdus post horse for byways, prob. lit., spare horse, equiv. to Gk para- para- 1 + L verēdus fast breed of horse < Gaulish < Celtic *woreidos (> Welsh gorwydd horse, charger), equiv. to *wo- under (< *upo-; cf. hypo- ) + *reid-, base of OIr réidid (he) rides, réid level, smooth, easy, Welsh rhwydd easy; see ride


palfreyed, adjective
pal·frey   (pôl'frē)   
n.   pl. pal·freys Archaic
A saddle horse, especially one for a woman to ride.

[Middle English, from Old French palefrei, from Medieval Latin palafrēdus, alteration of Late Latin paraverēdus, post horse for secondary routes, extra horse : Greek para, extra, beyond; see per1 in Indo-European roots + Latin verēdus, post horse (of Celtic origin; see reidh- in Indo-European roots).]

Palfrey

Pal"frey\, n. [OE. palefrai, OF. palefrei, F. palefroi, LL. palafredus, parafredus, from L. paraveredus a horse for extraordinary occasions, an extra post horse; Gr. ? along, beside + L. veredus a post horse.]

1. A saddle horse for the road, or for state occasions, as distinguished from a war horse. --Chaucer.

2. A small saddle horse for ladies. --Spenser.

Call the host and bid him bring Charger and palfrey. --Tennyson.

palfrey 
1148, "saddle horse for ordinary riding (opposed to a war horse), small horse for ladies," from O.Fr. palefrei (11c.), from M.L. palafredus, alt. by dissimilation from L.L. paraveredus "post horse for outlying districts" (6c.), originally "extra horse," from Gk. para "beside, secondary" + L. veredus "post horse; light, fast horse used by couriers," from Gaul. *voredos (cf. Welsh gorwydd "horse," O.Ir. riadaim "I ride"). The L. word passed to O.H.G. as pfarifrid, where in modern Ger. it has become the usual word for "horse" (pferd).
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