Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Knave
Knave
(nāv)
, Noun.
[OE., boy, servant, knave, AS.
cnafa
boy, youth; cf. AS. cnapa
boy, youth, D. knaap
, G. knabe
boy, knappe
esquire, Icel. knapi
, Sw. knape
esquire, knäfvel
knave.] 1.
A boy; especially, a boy servant.
[Obs.]
Wyclif. Chaucer.
O murderous slumber,
Lay’st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy
That plays thee music ? Gentle
Lay’st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy
That plays thee music ? Gentle
knave
, good night. Shakespeare
2.
Any male servant; a menial.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
He's but Fortune's
A minister of her will.
knave
,A minister of her will.
Shakespeare
3.
A tricky, deceitful fellow; a dishonest person; a rogue; a villain.
“A pair of crafty knaves.” Shak.
In defiance of demonstration,
knaves
will continue to proselyte fools. Ames.
☞ “How many serving lads must have been unfaithful and dishonest before knave – which meant at first no more than boy – acquired the meaning which it has now !”
Trench.
4.
A playing card marked with the figure of a servant or soldier; a jack;
as, the
. knave
of hearts
Syn. – Villain; cheat; rascal; rogue; scoundrel; miscreant.
Webster 1828 Edition
Knave
KNAVE
,Noun.
1.
A boy; a man-child.2.
A servant.3.
A false deceitful fellow; a dishonest man or boy. In defiance of demonstration, knaves will continue to proselyte fools.
4.
A card with a soldier painted on it.Definition 2025
knave
knave
English
Noun
knave (plural knaves)
- (archaic) A boy; especially, a boy servant.
- (archaic) Any male servant; a menial.
- A tricky, deceitful fellow; a dishonest person; a rogue; a villain.
- 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 29686887 , chapter II:
- I had never defrauded a man of a farthing, nor called him knave behind his back. But now the last rag that covered my nakedness had been torn from me. I was branded a blackleg, card-sharper, and murderer.
- 1977, Geoffrey Chaucer (in Modern English translation), The Canterbury Tales, Penguin Classics, p. 204:
- God's bones! Whenever I go to beat those knaves / my tapsters, out she [my wife] comes with clubs and staves, / "Go on!" she screams — and it's a caterwaul — / "You kill those dogs! Break back and bones and all!"
- 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 29686887 , chapter II:
- (card games) A playing card marked with the figure of a servant or soldier; a jack.
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:villain
Derived terms
Translations
archaic: boy; especially, boy servant
archaic: any male servant
deceitful fellow
playing card