a. Forms: 4 chewalrouss, -rus, chevelrous, -russ, 4–6 chyualrous, -rus, cheuelrous(e, -rus, 4–7 cheualrous, 5 chevalerous(e, -allrus, chiualrus, -allrouse, 6 cheualrus, -ryous, -allorous, 4–6, 8–9 chivalrous. [ME., a. OF. chevalerous, chevaleros, -us, -eus, -eux (not in mod.F.), f. chevalier CHEVALIER: see -OUS. In its original use this word became obsolete both in French and English before 1600, perhaps shortly after 1530 (Lord Berners), for in Shakespeare, Spenser, and Dicts. c. 1600, it was merely traditional. It reappears in Bailey’s Dict., 1721–31, as a word of Spenser and Chaucer. Johnson 1755 has it merely as a Spenserian word ‘now out of use.’ But in the latter part of the 18th c. it was revived by writers on the romances of chivalry, and has become again a living word referring either to the historical or the ideal chivalry of the Middle Ages.]
I. In early use.
† 1. Like, or having the characteristics of, a (mediæval) knight or man-at-arms; esp. doughty, valorous. (See quot. 1611.) Obs. exc. as forming part of sense 3.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2399. Cheualrous knyȝtez.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 802. Diomede was … Hardy, testife, strong, and cheualrous.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3651. Achilles, a choise kyng & cheuallrus in armys.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxxiii. 31. No chyvalrus chiftan may chere hym.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xvi. 63. To make hym more cheualerouse than eny othre of hys tyme.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), Pref. 3. The chyualrous feates and marcyall prowesses of the vyctoryous knyghtes of tymes paste.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., I. i. 81. Ile answer thee in any faire degree, Or Chiualrous designe of knightly triall.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. ix. 1. In brave poursuitt of chevalrous emprize.
1611. Cotgr., Chevalereux, cheualrous, doughty, valorous, valiant, couragious, stout, bold.
† b. Of places: Of warlike renown. Obs.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 2. A more chyvalrous town then Troy was oon In londe was never seen.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. v. (iv.) 77. O worthy Troiane wallis cheualrus [Inclyta bello].
II. In modern (revived) use.
2. Of or pertaining to the Age of Chivalry, or to the knights of that age (as viewed historically).
1774. Warton, Eng. Poetry, I. § 3. 148. But to sing romantic and chivalrous adventures was a very different task.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 116. The old feudal and chivalrous spirit of Fealty.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages, IX. ii. (1837), 511. The manners of chivalrous times do not make so fair an appearance in Monstrelet.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., VII. vi. By the Crusades chivalry became more religious, religion more chivalrous. Ibid. The chivalrous word courtesy designates a new virtue, not ordained by our religion.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., V. xxiv. 482. The chivalrous spirit is, above all things, a class spirit. The good knight is bound to endless fantastic courtesies towards men, and still more towards women, of a certain rank; he may treat all below that rank with any degree of scorn and cruelty. Ibid., 483. The whole chivalrous idea, an idea quite un-English, and rather French than Norman, flourished most of all during the French wars of Edward the Third. Ibid. (1882), Wm. Rufus, ii. 173. The massacre of Limoges, the most truly chivalrous deed ever done.
3. Of, belonging to, or characteristic of the ideal knight; possessing all the virtues attributed to the Age of Chivalry; characterized by pure and noble gallantry, honor, courtesy, and disinterested devotion to the cause of the weak or oppressed. Sometimes, ‘gallant, or disinterestedly devoted in the service of the female sex’; sometimes, in ridicule = ‘quixotic.’
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages, IX. ii. Eminent instances of chivalrous virtue.
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., III. 106. Boasting of the ‘chivalrous’ treatment she [woman] enjoys.
1844. Lingard, Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858), I. App. 353. Certainly a most unpromising and chivalrous attempt.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. 13. A chivalrous perception of the meaning of the word duty.
1863. ‘Ouida,’ Held in Bondage (1870), 88. Positively, Granville, you are quite chivalrous in her defence.
1883. G. Lloyd, Ebb & Flow, II. 45. Frank is the most generous, chivalrous fellow in the world.
4. Of knightly position or rank. rare.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xx. Of gentle blood and chivalrous rank.
