cavalry

[ kav-uhl-ree ]

/ ˈkæv əl ri /

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See synonyms for cavalry on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural cav·al·ries.

Military.

the part of a military force composed of troops that serve on horseback.
mounted soldiers collectively.
the motorized, armored units of a military force organized for maximum mobility.

horsemen, horses, etc., collectively.

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Origin of cavalry

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cavalry

Calvary, cavalry

Words nearby cavalry

Cavalier poets, cavalier servente, cavalla, Cavalleria Rusticana, Cavallini, cavalry, cavalryman, cavalry twill, Cavan, cavate, cavatelli

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cavalry in a sentence

As for the cadre of grooms into whose care the show’s 335 horses were entrusted, it too had been decimated, for during World War I, a horse cavalry was still a vital component of the forces.
The Circus Was Once America’s Top Entertainment. Here’s Why Its Golden Age Began to Fade|Les Standiford|June 15, 2021|Time
Immune systems are like sentinels, patrolling the body for invaders and calling in the cavalry once a pathogen is detected.
The mere sight of illness may kick-start a canary’s immune system|Jonathan Lambert|June 8, 2021|Science News
It’s a far cry from the government’s optimism in early December, when the arrival of vaccines was described as the “scientific cavalry” coming to the rescue.
U.K. goes back on lockdown as hospitals face breaking point|Rachel King|January 4, 2021|Fortune
The Army has museums dedicated to the infantry, the cavalry and the artillery.
Army museums have tens of thousands of artifacts. They’re looking to downsize.|Michael Ruane|December 3, 2020|Washington Post

Because Forrest enlisted as a private and fought in the often-neglected western theater, his skills as a cavalry commander were overlooked for much of the war.
The Fight Over Monuments of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest Holds a Lesson About Whiteness in America|Connor Towne O’Neill|July 13, 2020|Time
A newsagent further down on Nathan Road told The Daily Beast that he recognized a number of retired cops in the cavalry charge.
Hong Kong’s Triads Attack Protestors|Ben Leung|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A similar pattern occurred when metal swords, armor, cavalry charges and dense infantry ranks developed.
War! What Is It Good For? A Lot|Nick Romeo|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He fought with the Soviets, then led the cavalry and B-52 bombers to rout the Taliban.
The Warlord Who Defines Afghanistan: An Excerpt From Bruce Riedel’s ’What We Won’|Bruce Riedel|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dostum famously led Uzbek cavalry charges supported by U.S. B-52 bombers to defeat the Taliban.
The Warlord Who Defines Afghanistan: An Excerpt From Bruce Riedel’s ’What We Won’|Bruce Riedel|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They rode as far as Tours on the Loire until stopped by the French cavalry of Charles Martel.
Is This Hemingway’s Pamplona or a Lot of Bull?|Clive Irving|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this position, the line of cavalry formed the chord of the arc described by the river, and occupied by us.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Fanning and Wharton were to make head against the infantry and cavalry.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
But the cavalry officer melted imperceptibly out of her existence.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
They found a few belated sowars of the 3d Cavalry, who took refuge in a wood, and the artillery opened fire at the trees!
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Infantry and cavalry approached the island, quite unsuspicious of its being occupied.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for cavalry

cavalry

/ (ˈkævəlrɪ) /

noun plural -ries

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

the armoured element of a modern army

(as modifier)a cavalry unit; a cavalry charge

Derived forms of cavalry

cavalryman, noun

Word Origin for cavalry

C16: from French cavallerie, from Italian cavalleria, from cavaliere horseman; see cavalier

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cavalry

Origin of cavalry

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cavalry

Words nearby cavalry

Words related to cavalry

How to use cavalry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cavalry

Derived forms of cavalry

Word Origin for cavalry