Gal*lant" (?; 277), n.
1. A man of mettle or spirit; a gay, fashionable
man; a young blood. Shak.
2. One fond of paying attention to
ladies.
3. One who wooes; a lover; a suitor; in a bad
sense, a seducer. Addison.
☞ In the first sense it is by some orthoëpists (as in
Shakespeare) accented on the first syllable.
Gal*lant" (?; 277), a. Polite and
attentive to ladies; courteous to women; chivalrous.
Gal"lant (?), a. [F. gallant,
prop. p. pr. of OF. galer to rejoice, akin to OF.
gale amusement, It. gala ornament; of German origin;
cf. OHG. geil merry, luxuriant, wanton, G. geil
lascivious, akin to AS. g?l wanton, wicked, OS. g?l
merry, Goth. gailjan to make to rejoice, or perh. akin to E.
weal. See Gala, Galloon.]
1. Showy; splendid; magnificent; gay; well-
dressed.
The town is built in a very gallant
place.
Evelyn.
Our royal, good and gallant ship.
Shak.
2. Noble in bearing or spirit; brave; high-
spirited; courageous; heroic; magnanimous; as, a gallant
youth; a gallant officer.
That gallant spirit hath aspired the
clouds.
Shak.
The gay, the wise, the gallant, and the
grave.
Waller.
Syn. -- Gallant, Courageous, Brave.
Courageous is generic, denoting an inward spirit which rises
above fear; brave is more outward, marking a spirit which
braves or defies danger; gallant rises still higher, denoting
bravery on extraordinary occasions in a spirit of adventure. A
courageous man is ready for battle; a brave man courts
it; a gallant man dashes into the midst of the conflict.
Gal*lant" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Gallanted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Gallanting.] 1. To attend or wait on, as
a lady; as, to gallant ladies to the play.
2. To handle with grace or in a modish
manner; as, to gallant a fan. [Obs.]
Addison.