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

“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

Kxe1 b5, and now the superiority of the Black bishop over the White knight makes an extra pawn a winning proposition.

From Washington Times • Dec. 6, 2022

Nd5 Bd8: The pinned White knight is under attack but virtually all of White’s forces are targeting the Black king.

From Washington Times • Mar. 8, 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