squire of dames
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Any cavalier who is devoted to ladies. Spenser, in his Faerie Queene, introduces the "squire," and records his adventures.
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 “squire of dames” mean?
Any cavalier who is devoted to ladies. Spenser, in his Faerie Queene, introduces the "squire," and records his adventures.
Is “squire of dames” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.