Dictionary

gallant en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɡælənt/

Etymology

From Middle English galant, galaunt, from Old French galant (“courteous; dashing; brave”), present participle of galer (“to rejoice; make merry”), from gale (“pomp; show; festivity; mirth”); either from Frankish *wala (“good, well”), a variant form of *wela, from Proto-Germanic *wela (whence well), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”); or alternatively from Frankish *gail (“merry; mirthful; proud; luxuriant”), from Proto-Germanic *gailaz (“merry; excited; luxurious”), related to Dutch geil (“horny; lascivious; salacious; lecherous”), German geil (“randy; horny; lecherous; wicked”), Old English gāl (“wanton; wicked; bad”).

Meanings

1. Brave, valiant, courteous, especially with regard to male attitudes towards women.
   • It is plain that the great majority of school children must be regarded, from the physical standpoint, as decidedly gallant little persons, who have wrestled through their infancy and have managed to come out of tribulations that have killed a large proportion of all the children of their birth-years. 1907, Margaret McMillan, Labour and Childhood, page 7:
   • That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds. c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
2. Honorable.
   • Captain Edward Carlisle[…]felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze,[…]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard. 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
3. Grand, noble.
4. (obsolete) Showy; splendid; magnificent; gay; well-dressed.
   • our royal, good and gallant ship 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
   • This town is built in a very gallant place. 1644 March 27 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 18 March 1644]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

gallantize · gallantly · supergallant · gallanthood · gallantness · ungallant · gallant soldier · ultragallant · gallantry

Translations (55)

mk хра́бар (brave, valiant) · gd gasta (brave, valiant) · ka გულადი (brave, valiant) · mk гала́нтен (honourable) · ka მამაცი (brave, valiant) · ru гала́нтный (honourable) · fi uljas (brave, valiant) · pt valente (brave, valiant) · el ανδρείος (brave, valiant) · bg храбър (brave, valiant) · cs chrabrý (brave, valiant) · ka გამბედავი (brave, valiant) · ka გალანტური (honourable) · ka ზრდილი (honourable) · ka თავაზიანი (honourable) · cs odhodlaný (brave, valiant) · ru до́блестный (brave, valiant) · ka მხნე (brave, valiant) · mk по́чесен (honourable) · eo galanta (honourable) · el ευγενής (honourable) · ru обходи́тельный (honourable) · es gallardo (brave, valiant) · ru хра́брый (brave, valiant) · ja 勇敢な (brave, valiant) · fi kunniallinen (honourable) · cs odvážný (brave, valiant) · fi urhea (brave, valiant) · el αβρός (honourable) · ka გაბედული (brave, valiant) · uk гала́нтний (honourable) · ru почте́нный (honourable) · eo brava (brave, valiant) · bg доблестен (brave, valiant) · sv tapper (brave, valiant) · ja 勇ましい (brave, valiant) · cs úctyhodný (honourable) · it valoroso (brave, valiant) · mk љу́безен (honourable) · el γενναίος (brave, valiant) · bg почетен (honourable) · mk до́блестен (brave, valiant) · mi hautoa (brave, valiant) · ru отва́жный (brave, valiant) · ru сме́лый (brave, valiant) · it galante (honourable) · ru любе́зный (honourable) · it gentiluomo (honourable) · pl szarmancki (brave, valiant) · ru бра́вый (brave, valiant) · io galanta (honourable) · fr brave (brave, valiant) · gd luranach (brave, valiant) · it cavaliere (honourable) · fi kunniakas (honourable)

gallant en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɡəˈlænt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɡəˈlɑnt/ (US)
• /ˈɡælənt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɡælənt/ (US)

Etymology

17th-century borrowing from French galant. See above.

Meanings

1. Polite and attentive to ladies; courteous to women; chivalrous.
   • I admire all that quaint, old-fashioned politeness; it is much more to my taste than modern ease; modern ease often disgusts me. But this good old Mr. Woodhouse, I wish you had heard his gallant speeches to me at dinner. Oh! I assure you I began to think my caro sposo would be absolutely jealous. 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume II, chapter 17:

Forms

Translations (18)

ka გალანტური (polite and attentive to ladies) · ro galant (polite and attentive to ladies) · bg галантен (polite and attentive to ladies) · hu gáláns (polite and attentive to ladies) · ru гала́нтный (polite and attentive to ladies) · pt galante (polite and attentive to ladies) · de galant (polite and attentive to ladies) · hy կնամեծար (polite and attentive to ladies) · vi hào hiệp (polite and attentive to ladies) · cs dvorný (polite and attentive to ladies) · el ιπποτικός (polite and attentive to ladies) · it galante (polite and attentive to ladies) · cs galantní (polite and attentive to ladies) · pl szarmancki (polite and attentive to ladies) · es galano (polite and attentive to ladies) · gl galante (polite and attentive to ladies) · vi ga-lăng (polite and attentive to ladies) · es galán (polite and attentive to ladies)

gallant en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɡəˈlænt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɡəˈlɑnt/ (US)
• /ˈɡælənt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɡælənt/ (US)

Etymology

17th-century borrowing from French galant. See above.

Meanings

1. (dated) A fashionable young man who is polite and attentive to women.
   • PROSPERO: […] this gallant which thou see'st / Was in the wrack; and but he's something stain'd / with grief,—that beauty's canker,—thou mightst call him / A goodly person […] 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
2. One who woos, a lover, a suitor, a seducer.
   • […] they were discovered in a very improper manner by the husband of the gypsy, who, from jealousy it seems, had kept a watchful eye over his wife, and had dogged her to the place, where he found her in the arms of her gallant. 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:
   • The ignominy of that whisper'd tale / About a midnight gallant, seen to climb / A window to her chamber neighbour'd near, / I will from her turn off, and put the load / On the right shoulders; on that wretch's head, […] a. 1822 (date written), John Keats, “[Tragedies.] Otho the Great: A Tragedy in Five Acts.”, in [Horace Elisha Scudder], editor, The Complete Poetical Works and Letters of John Keats, Cambridge edition, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], published 1899, →OCLC, Act III, scene ii, page 176, column 2, lines 140–144:
3. A topgallant.

Forms

Synonyms

macaroni · tippy · blade · petit maître · fop · player · dude · foretop · wanton · popinjay · prig · voluptuary · cockscomb · carpet knight · lecher · blade · rizzler · smart · gallant · barbermonger · blood · jack-a-dandy · masher · masher · Jemmy-Jessamy · blood · philanderer · roué · debauchee · puss-gentleman · dike · chamberer · go · fribble · seducer · hood rat · libertine · fast man · adulterer · beau · jetter · debaucher · metrosexual · dudelet · dandy · rake · dood · gallant · spiff · carpetmonger · bed-hopper · fine gentleman · exquisite · buck · toff · lewdster · mignon · spark · rantipole · swell · fashionable · fornicator · pretty boy

Translations (14)

es galán (fashionable young man) · ka ჯენტლმენი (fashionable young man) · es galán (one who woos — see also lover) · ka გამოსული კაცი (fashionable young man) · it damerino (fashionable young man) · ru дже́нтльме́н (fashionable young man) · ga croíán (fashionable young man) · ga gaige (fashionable young man) · ka კავალერი (fashionable young man) · bg кавалер (fashionable young man) · bg ухажор (one who woos — see also lover) · ru све́тский челове́к (fashionable young man) · sa कामुक (one who woos — see also lover) · ru щёголь (fashionable young man)

gallant en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɡəˈlænt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɡəˈlɑnt/ (US)
• /ˈɡælənt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɡælənt/ (US)

Etymology

17th-century borrowing from French galant. See above.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, transitive) To attend or wait on (a lady).
   • During this period, we were the lions of the neighbourhood; and, no doubt, strangers from the distant villages were taken to see the "Karhowrees" (white men), in the same way that countrymen, in a city, are gallanted to the Zoological Gardens. 1847 March 30, Herman Melville, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:
   • to gallant ladies to the play
2. (obsolete, transitive) To handle with grace or in a modish manner.
   • to gallant a fan
3. (transitive) To conduct, escort, convey.
   • ... and the canoes of Vivenza, locking their yard-arms into those of the vanquished, very courteously gallanted them into their coral harbors. 1849, Herman Melville, Mardi: And a Voyage Thither. […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
4. To behave in a gallant fashion; to act the gallant.
   • How different is the young, fun-loving, comical, quizzing, gallanting Captain Arthur Wellesley, when residing in his shooting lodge between Summerhill and Dangan, from the stern, cautious, careworn Fabius of the Peninsular war[.] 1840 February 7, The Sydney Herald, page 2, column 5:

Forms