Word of the Day Archive
Wednesday July 4, 2012
gallant \GAL-uhnt\
, adjective:
1. Brave, spirited, noble-minded, or chivalrous: a gallant knight; a gallant rescue attempt.
2. Exceptionally polite and attentive to women; courtly.
3. Stately; grand: a gallant pageant.
noun:
1. A brave, noble-minded, or chivalrous man.
2. A man exceptionally attentive to women.
3. A stylish and dashing man.
He praised the owl's wisdom and his courage, his gallantry and his generosity; though every one knew that however wise old Master Owl might be, he was neither brave nor gallant.
-- Frances Jenkins Olcott, Good Stories For Holidays
Oh, those were days of power, gallant days, bustling days, worth the bravest days of chivalry at least.
-- George Borrow, Lavengro: The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest
Related to the word gala, gallant stems from the Old French word galer meaning "to amuse oneself, to make merry."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for gallant
