gallantry

noun — 3 senses

gallantry

noun

/ˈɡæləntri/

Etymology From French galanterie, equivalent to gallant + -ry.

1

courage.

  • 1926, P. G. Wodehouse, 'Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend', Penguin, Harmondsworth: 1992, p 98. 'I have the greatest respect for the young lady to whom you refer. She behaved on a certain recent occasion - on two recent occasions - with notable gallantry and resource, and I won't have her bally-ragged.'
  • Our men have fought with grim gallantry. The soldiers of the Republic of Korea have also been fighting fiercely.1950 September 1, Harry S. Truman, 1:27 from the start, in MP72-73 Korea and World Peace: President Truman Reports to the People, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162:
2

chivalrous courtliness, especially towards women.

  • Of the three things that startle us in the feasts of nobles, there is not one here; no swords, no duels, no tables reeking blood. No faithless gallantries here bring dishonour on some intimate friend.1863, Jules Michelet, translated by Lionel J. Trotter, La Sorcière: The Witch of the Middle Ages:
  • The Queen of Sheba has responded to Solomon's gallantry and accepted his one God . She is one who is ready to be guided . Her heart is open . The second part of the testing , the riddles , seem to be a more personal and human exchange .1993, Barbara Black Koltuv, Solomon & Sheba: Inner Marriage and Individuation, Nicholas-Hays, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 80:
3

an instance of gallant behaviour or speech.

Synonyms
gallanthood, gallantness
Derived terms
gallantry show, ingallantry, ungallantry

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.