white knight

American  

noun

1. a hero who comes to the rescue.

2. a beleaguered champion who fights heroically for a cause, as in politics.

3. Informal. a company that comes to the rescue of another, as to prevent a takeover.

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white knight British  

noun

1. a champion or rescuer, esp a person or organization that rescues a company from financial difficulties, an unwelcome takeover bid, etc

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Usage

What else does white knight mean? In internet slang, a white knight is a man who comes to the unsolicited defense of a woman online, in the hopes of romantic or sexual favor. A white knight can also more generally refer to someone who rushes to the defense of another online, usually a person whose actions aren’t seen as worthy of defense. How is white knight  pronounced?[ wahyt nahyt ]What are some other forms of white knight?white-knightingWhat are some other words related to white knight?

• nice guy
• mansplain

Etymology

Origin of white knight

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Nc1 Qc2, and the White knight can’t be saved; Karthik resigned.

From Washington Times • Aug. 8, 2023

“The Laughter” is an impressive performance, a disturbing character study of a man who views himself as the literal White knight in almost every scenario.

From Washington Post • Feb. 15, 2023

Nh3 keeps him in the game, but as the annotator noted, Black now has the positional serve, with any queen trade leaving Black’s rook dominant over the pathetic White knight.

From Washington Times • Feb. 22, 2022

The White knight is lost but Ding obtains critical compensation in his advanced h-pawn after 28.

From Washington Times • Sep. 29, 2015

Qxg6 hxg6, but Korley still faces nagging developmental issues and can’t evict the annoying White knight on g5.

From Washington Times • Sep. 23, 2014

Related Words

• savior