Meanings
nouncavalry (countable and uncountable, plural cavalries)
plural cavalries · alternative cavalery
- historicaluncountableusuallygovernmentThe military arm of service that fights while riding horses.
Two hundred heavily-armed cavalry rode behind the Audley standard, while close at their heels came the Duke of Lancaster with a glittering train, heralds tabarded with the royal arms riding three deep upon cream-colored chargers in front of him.
1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, chapter XXXIII, in The White Company, New York, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.: Thomas Y[oung] Crowell & Company […], →OCLC - countablegovernmentAn individual unit of this arm of service.
- countablegovernmentThe branch of the military transported by fast light vehicles, also known as mechanized cavalry.
- countablefigurativelyuncountableA source of rescue, especially in an emergency.
call in the cavalry
1 more example
"We landed in their killbox?" "We did. I am sor... No, belay that. Heads down! Cavalry incoming!"
2015 February 1, Howard Tayler, Schlock Mercenary, archived from the original on 14 May 2024
Synonyms & antonyms
nountroops trained to fight on horseback
Similar
horse cavalryhorse
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Celtic*kaballosder.?
- Latincaballus
- Late Latincaballārius
- Old Occitancavalier
- Italiancavaliere
- Italiancavalleria
- Middle Frenchcavalerie
- Englishcavalry
From Middle French cavalerie, in turn from Italian cavalleria. Recorded in English from the 1540s. Doublet of chivalry.
More words from Middle French, Italian
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans kavallerie
- kavalleriemilitary service that fights with riding horses
Ancient Greek ἱππεῖς, ἱππικόν
- ἱππεῖς (hippeîs)military service that fights with riding horses
- ἱππικόν (hippikón)military service that fights with riding horses
- ἱππικόν (hippikón)an individual unit of cavalry
Arabic فَارِس, سِلَاح الفُرْسَان
- فَارِس (fāris)military service that fights with riding horses
- سِلَاح الفُرْسَان (silāḥ al-fursān)military service that fights with riding horses
Basque zalduneria
- zalduneriamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Bulgarian кавале́рия, ко́нница
- кавале́рия (kavalérija)military service that fights with riding horses
- ко́нница (kónnica)military service that fights with riding horses
Catalan cavalleria
- cavalleriamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Chinese Mandarin 騎兵 /骑兵, 騎兵 /骑兵
- 騎兵 /骑兵 (qíbīng)military service that fights with riding horses
- 騎兵 /骑兵 (qíbīng)an individual unit of cavalry
Czech jezdectvo, kavalérie
- jezdectvomilitary service that fights with riding horses
- kavalériemilitary service that fights with riding horses
Danish kavaleri
- kavalerimilitary service that fights with riding horses
Dutch cavalerie
- cavaleriemilitary service that fights with riding horses
Esperanto kavalerio
- kavaleriomilitary service that fights with riding horses
Estonian ratsavägi
- ratsavägimilitary service that fights with riding horses
Finnish ratsuväki, ratsuväki
- ratsuväkimilitary service that fights with riding horses
- ratsuväkian individual unit of cavalry
French cavalerie
- cavaleriemilitary service that fights with riding horses
German Reiterei, Kavallerie
- Reitereimilitary service that fights with riding horses
- Kavalleriemilitary service that fights with riding horses
- Kavalleriean individual unit of cavalry
Greek ιππικό, ιππικό
- ιππικό (ippikó)military service that fights with riding horses
- ιππικό (ippikó)an individual unit of cavalry
Hebrew חיל־פרשים
- חיל־פרשים (kheil-parashym)military service that fights with riding horses
Hindi घुड़सवार सेना, घुड़सवार फ़ौज
- घुड़सवार सेना (ghuṛasvār senā)military service that fights with riding horses
- घुड़सवार फ़ौज (ghuṛasvār fauj)military service that fights with riding horses
- रिसाला (risālā)military service that fights with riding horses
- घुड़सवार (ghuṛasvār)an individual unit of cavalry
- रिसाला (risālā)an individual unit of cavalry
- घुड़चढ़ा (ghuṛacṛhā)an individual unit of cavalry
Hungarian lovasság, lovas
- lovasságmilitary service that fights with riding horses
- lovasan individual unit of cavalry
Icelandic riddaralið
- riddaraliðmilitary service that fights with riding horses
Indonesian pasukan kuda, pasukan berkuda
- pasukan kudamilitary service that fights with riding horses
- pasukan berkudamilitary service that fights with riding horses
- kavalerimilitary service that fights with riding horses
Irish marcra, marcshlua
- marcramilitary service that fights with riding horses
- marcshluamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Italian cavalleria
- cavalleriamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Japanese 騎兵, 騎兵隊
- 騎兵 (kihei)military service that fights with riding horses
- 騎兵隊 (kiheitai)military service that fights with riding horses
Korean 기병대
- 기병대 (gibyeongdae)military service that fights with riding horses
Latin equitātus
- equitātusmilitary service that fights with riding horses
Latvian kavalērija
- kavalērijamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Lithuanian kavalerija
- kavalerijamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Malay pasukan kuda, pasukan berkuda husar
- pasukan kudamilitary service that fights with riding horses
- pasukan berkuda husarmilitary service that fights with riding horses
Māori taua eke hōiho
- taua eke hōihomilitary service that fights with riding horses
Norwegian Bokmål kavaleri
- kavalerimilitary service that fights with riding horses
Persian سوارهنظام
- سوارهنظام (savâre-nezâm)military service that fights with riding horses
Polish jazda, kawaleria
- jazdamilitary service that fights with riding horses
- kawaleriamilitary service that fights with riding horses
- konnicamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Portuguese cavalaria
- cavalariamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Romanian cavalerie
- cavaleriemilitary service that fights with riding horses
Russian кавале́рия, ко́нница
- кавале́рия (kavalérija)military service that fights with riding horses
- ко́нница (kónnica)military service that fights with riding horses
- кавалери́ст (kavaleríst)an individual unit of cavalry
Slovak jazdectvo, kalvária
- jazdectvomilitary service that fights with riding horses
- kalváriamilitary service that fights with riding horses
Spanish caballería, caballería
- caballeríamilitary service that fights with riding horses
- caballeríaan individual unit of cavalry
Swedish kavalleri
- kavallerimilitary service that fights with riding horses
Tagalog kabayuhan
- kabayuhanmilitary service that fights with riding horses
Thai ทหารม้า
- ทหารม้า (tha-haan-maa)military service that fights with riding horses
Turkish süvari, süvari
- süvarimilitary service that fights with riding horses
- süvarian individual unit of cavalry
Ukrainian кінно́та, кавале́рія
- кінно́та (kinnóta)military service that fights with riding horses
- кавале́рія (kavalérija)military service that fights with riding horses
Vietnamese kỵ binh
- kỵ binhmilitary service that fights with riding horses
Welsh marchoglu, marchfilwr
- marchoglumilitary service that fights with riding horses
- marchfilwrmilitary service that fights with riding horses
- cafalrimilitary service that fights with riding horses
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
cavalry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cavalry
MLA
“cavalry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cavalry. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cavalry,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cavalry.
Source: cavalry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.