knight errant
Preserved but no longer current.
A mediaeval knight, especially a hero of those long romances satirized by Cervantes in Don Quixote, who wandered about the world in quest of adventure and in search of opportunities of rescuing damsels in distress and performing other chivalrous deeds.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “knight errant” mean?
A mediaeval knight, especially a hero of those long romances satirized by Cervantes in Don Quixote, who wandered about the world in quest of adventure and in search of opportunities of rescuing damsels in distress and performing other chivalrous deeds.
Is “knight errant” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.