cavalry

American  

[kav-uhl-ree] / ˈkæv əl ri /

noun

• cavalries
  plural

1. Military.

   1. the part of a military force composed of troops that serve on horseback.

   2. mounted soldiers collectively.

   3. the motorized, armored units of a military force organized for maximum mobility.

2. horsemen, horses, etc., collectively.

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cavalry British  

/ ˈkævəlrɪ /

noun

1. (esp formerly) the part of an army composed of mounted troops

2. the armoured element of a modern army

3. ( as modifier )

   a cavalry unit

   a cavalry charge

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cavalryman
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cavalries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cavalry

1585–95; syncopated variant of cavallery < Italian cavalleria, derivative of cavaliere cavalier

Explanation

A cavalry is a group of soldiers who fight on horses. Cavalry can also refer to any military unit that is quick and mobile. If a general said, "Send in the cavalry!" you can be sure a group of soldiers are being called upon. The only question is whether the cavalry is the traditional sort or if the word is being used more loosely. Traditionally, a cavalry is a unit of troops on horseback. When horses were a primary means of transportation, cavalries were a common part of war. Since then, a cavalry might be any unit of soldiers that can be quickly deployed.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cavalry cavalries

And, sure enough, the cavalry has finally arrived.

From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026

Gen. Harold G. Moore, who commanded a cavalry unit at the late 1965 Ia Drang battle, fretted how the war was “devastating to the morale and effectiveness of every American unit in combat.”

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

But whether the cavalry is arriving too late to save a season with just 10 games left remains to be seen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

The aerial cavalry of three Canadair aircraft flying overhead look as impressive as they sound.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The sound of the cavalry grew rapidly nearer and in a minute or two Shasta realized that they were at the cross-roads.

From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis

Their fierce cavalries struck fear in the hearts of anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.

From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2022

The twin developments of agriculture and military technology—especially cavalries and iron weapons—have predicted the rise of empires.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 28, 2022

Once a society adopted superior iron weaponry and formed cavalries, it could protect itself from rivals or overwhelm them, Turchin says.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 28, 2022

When hostile cavalries thus meet each other, there is usually but small loss on either side.

From A Treatise on the Tactical Use of the Three Arms: Infantry, Artillery, and Cavalry by Francis J. (Francis James) Lippitt

Broadly speaking, if two cavalries of approximately equal mobility manoeuvre against each other in open country, neither side can afford the loss of time that dismounting to fight on foot entails.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 "Cat" to "Celt" by Various

Related Words

• squadron