Cavalier

Cavalier is a word of many meanings.

A cavalier can be a mounted soldier or knight.
It can also be a courteous gentleman or a chivalrous man (especially one who escorts a woman of high social standing).
In a third meaning of the noun, written capitalized, a Cavalier was a supporter of Charles I, King of England, during the English Civil Wars (1642-51).

The adjective cavalier meant gallant before the 1640s. This was tied to the knight and chivalry meaning of the noun. Later cavalier came to mean disdainful, haughty, or offhand.

Cavalier in its adjective sense can also mean carefree, nonchalant, or jaunty. Example: "His cavalier behavior belied the pain he felt after being snubbed for the promotion."

The word cavalier is a French spelling of the word for knight taken ultimately from the Late Latin caballarius (horseman).

Cavalier is a telecommunications company with offices in Richmond, VA and spreading along the east coast. They are also located in PA and MD. They offer local and long distance phone services as well as 56K dial-up, ISDN and DSL connections.

They had something like $175 million in venture capital to open their Richmond offices. The company was founded in January of 1999. Their website is http://www.cavtel.com

Cav`a*lier" (?), n. [F. cavalier, It. cavaliere, LL. caballarius, fr. L. caballus. See Cavalcade, and cf. Cavallier, Caballine.]

1.

A military man serving on horseback; a knight.

2.

A gay, sprightly, military man; hence, a gallant.

3.

One of the court party in the time of king Charles I. as contrasted with a Roundhead or an adherent of Parliament.

Clarendon.

4. Fort.

A work of more that ordinary height, rising from the level ground of a bastion, etc., and overlooking surrounding parts.

© Webster 1913.

Cav`a*lier", a.

Gay; easy; offhand; frank.

1.

The plodding, persevering scupulous accuracy of the one, and the easy, cavalier, verbal fluency of the other, from a complete contrast.

Hazlitt.

2.

High-spirited.

Suckling.

3.

Supercilious; haughty; disdainful; curt; brusque.

4.

Of or pertaining to the party of King Charles I.

Beaconsfleld.

© Webster 1913.