Pl. knights-errant. In 7 erron. -errand. [See ERRANT a. 1.]
1. A knight of mediæval romance who wandered in search of adventures and opportunities for deeds of bravery and chivalry.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 810. He calde, & sone þer com A porter … & haylsed þe knyȝt erraunt.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 1311. Ȝondur ys a knyȝthe erraunt.
1612. Shelton, Quix., i. (1652), 2. The Knight-Errant that is lovelesse, resembles … a body without a soul.
1641. Brome, Joviall Crew, III. Wks. 1873, III. 394. Never did Knight Errants … merit more of their Ladies.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 540, ¶ 4. In Fairy-land, where knights-errant have a full scope to range.
1713. Berkeley, Guard., No. 83, ¶ 5. From what giants and monsters would these knight-errants undertake to free the world?
1847. Prescott, Peru (1850), II. 224. A cavalier, in whose bosom burned the adventurous spirit of a knight-errant of romance.
attrib. 1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), I. 668. This knight-errant humour of seeking adventures and perilous encounters.
1868. W. Cory, Lett. & Jrnls. (1897), 223. The armies which resisted Bonaparte, and made us the knight-errant nation.
2. transf. One compared to a knight-errant in respect of a chivalrous or adventurous spirit. Sometimes used in ridicule, with allusion to the character or actions of Don Quixote.
[1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., V. iv. 24. Come, come, you shee-Knight-arrant, come.]
1751. Earl Orrery, Remarks Swift (1752), 115. Descartes was a knight errant in philosophy, perpetually mistaking windmills for giants.
a. 1857. R. A. Vaughan, Essays & Rem. (1858), I. 38. Reason was the knight-errant of speculation.
Hence Knight-erranting gerund or pr. pple., playing the part of a knight-errant.
1860. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt., III. cvii. 21. You are not to go out knight-erranting in all corners of the town.
