knighthood

English

Etymology

From Middle English knyghthode, knyȝthod, from Old English cnihthād, from Proto-West Germanic *knehtahaidu, equivalent to knight +‎ -hood. Cognate with Dutch knechtheid, dialectal German Knechtheit.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Noun

knighthood (countable and uncountable, plural knighthoods)

  1. An honour whereby one is made into a knight, and one can thereafter be called Sir.
    the knighthood of Sir [So-and-So]
    He's got an OBE and MBE, and his recent work should entitle him to a knighthood.
    They rushed to congratulate Sir John Smith on his knighthood.
    • 1953 August, “Sir Sam Fay”, in Railway Magazine, page 506:
      He received his knighthood at the opening of Immingham Dock in 1912.
  2. The quality of being a knight.
  3. The knights collectively, the body of knights.

Derived terms

Translations

body of knights
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