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. gāl wanton, wicked, OS. gēl merry, Goth. gailjan to make to rejoice, or perh. akin to E. weal. See Gala, Galloon. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Showy; splendid; magnificent; gay; well-dressed. [ 1913 Webster ]

The town is built in a very gallant place. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our royal, good and gallant ship. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Noble in bearing or spirit; brave; high-spirited; courageous; heroic; magnanimous; as, a gallant youth; a gallant officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Polite and attentive to ladies; courteous to women; chivalrous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A man of mettle or spirit; a gay, fashionable man; a young blood. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One fond of paying attention to ladies. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One who wooes; a lover; a suitor; in a bad sense, a seducer. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the first sense it is by some orthoëpists (as in Shakespeare) accented on the first syllable. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To handle with grace or in a modish manner; as, to gallant a fan. [ Obs. ] Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a polite or courtly manner; like a gallant or wooer. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a gallant manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being gallant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Gallantries [ F. galanterie. ] 1. Splendor of appearance; ostentatious finery. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Guess the gallantry of our church by this . . . when the desk whereon the priest read was inlaid with plates of silver. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Bravery; intrepidity; as, the troops behaved with great gallantry. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Civility or polite attention to ladies; in a bad sense, attention or courtesy designed to win criminal favors from a female; freedom of principle or practice with respect to female virtue; intrigue. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Gallant persons, collectively. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Helenus, Antenor, and all the gallantry of Troy. Shak.

Syn. -- See Courage, and Heroism. [ 1913 Webster ]