4. A playing card bearing the figure of a knight; the knave or jack.
[Obs.]
Carpet knight. See under Carpet. -- Knight of industry. See Chevalier
d'industrie, under Chevalier. -- Knight of Malta, Knight of Rhodes,
Knight of St. John of Jerusalem. See Hospitaler. - - Knight of the
post, one who gained his living by giving false evidence on trials, or
false bail; hence, a sharper in general. Nares. "A knight of the post,
. . . quoth he, for so I am termed; a fellow that will swear you
anything for twelve pence." Nash. -- Knight of the shire, in England,
one of the representatives of a county in Parliament, in distinction
from the representatives of cities and boroughs. -- Knights commanders,
Knights grand cross, different classes of the Order of the Bath. See
under Bath, and Companion. Knights of labor, a secret organization
whose professed purpose is to secure and maintain the rights of
workingmen as respects their relations to their employers. [U. S.] --
Knights of Pythias, a secret order, founded in Washington, d.C., in
1864, for social and charitable purposes. - - Knights of the Round
Table, knights belonging to an order which, according to the legendary
accounts, was instituted by the mythical King Arthur. They derived
their common title from the table around which they sat on certain
solemn days. Brande & C.
Knight, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Knighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Knighting.] To
dub or create (one) a knight; -- done in England by the sovereign only,
who taps the kneeling candidate with a sword, saying: Rise, Sir ---.
A soldier, by the honor-giving hand Of C&?;ur-de-Lion knighted in
the field.
Shak.
Knight"age (?), n. The body of knights, taken collectively.
Knight" bach"e*lor (?); pl. Knights bachelors (&?;). A knight of the
most ancient, but lowest, order of English knights, and not a member of
any order of chivalry. See Bachelor, 4.
Knight" ban"ner*et (?); pl. Knights bannerets. A knight who carried a
banner, who possessed fiefs to a greater amount than the knight
bachelor, and who was obliged to serve in war with a greater number of
attendants. The dignity was sometimes conferred by the sovereign in
person on the field of battle.
Knight" bar"o*net (?). See Baronet.
Knight"-er`rant (?), n.; pl. Knight-errants, or Knights- errant. A
wandering knight; a knight who traveled in search of adventures, for
the purpose of exhibiting military skill, prowess, and generosity.
Knight"-er`rant*ry (?), n.; pl. Knight-errantries (&?;). The character
or actions of wandering knights; the practice of wandering in quest of
adventures; chivalry; a quixotic or romantic adventure or scheme.
The rigid guardian [i. e., conscience] of a blameless heart Is weak
with rank knight-erratries o'errun.
Young.
Knight"-er-rat"ic (?), a. Pertaining to a knight-errant or to
knight-errantry. [R.] Quart. Rev.
Knight"head` (?), n. (Naut.) A bollard timber. See under Bollard.
Knight"hood (?), n. [Knight + hood: cf. AS. chihthd youth.] 1. The
character, dignity, or condition of a knight, or of knights as a class;
hence, chivalry. "O shame to knighthood." Shak.
If you needs must write, write Cæsar's praise; You 'll gain at
least a knighthood, or the bays.
Pope.