cavalier: Meaning and Definition of

cav•a•lier

Pronunciation: (kav"u-lēr', kav'u-lēr"), [key]
— n.
  1. a horseman, esp. a mounted soldier; knight.
  2. one having the spirit or bearing of a knight; a courtly gentleman; gallant.
  3. a man escorting a woman or acting as her partner in dancing.
  4. (cap.) an adherent of Charles I of England in his contest with Parliament.
—adj.
  1. haughty, disdainful, or supercilious: an arrogant and cavalier attitude toward others.
  2. offhand or unceremonious: The very dignified officials were confused by his cavalier manner.
  3. (cap.) of or pertaining to the Cavaliers.
  4. (cap.) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Cavalier poets or their work.
—v.i.
  1. to play the cavalier.
  2. to be haughty or domineering.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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