Chapter Knelt to Knock of K by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

3. A piece used in the game of chess, usually bearing a horse's head.

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
(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 Cur-de-Lion knighted in the field.

Shak.

Knightage
(Knight"age) n. The body of knights, taken collectively.

Knight bachelor
(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 banneret
(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 baronet
(Knight" bar"o*net) See Baronet.

Knight-errant
(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-errantry
(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-ratic
(Knight"-er-rat"ic) a. Pertaining to a knight-errant or to knight-errantry. [R.] Quart. Rev.

Knighthead
(Knight"head`) n. (Naut.) A bollard timber. See under Bollard.

Knighthood
(Knight"hood) n. [Knight + hood: cf. AS. chihthad youth.]