destrier

[des-tree-er, de-streer]

noun Archaic.

a war-horse; charger.

Origin of destrier

1250–1300; Middle English destrer < Anglo-French, variant of Old French destrier, literally, (horse) led at the right hand < Vulgar Latin *dextrārius (equus), equivalent to Latin dext(e)r right-hand (see dexter) + -ārius -ary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for destrier

Historical Examples of destrier

They had even ripped up his destrier, so that presently he had to mount another.
King Robert the Bruce
A. F. Murison
This squire held the bridle of a destrier in his hand, though no man rode thereon.
French Mediaeval Romances from the Lays of Marie de France
Marie de France
He got him to his feet, and bringing the destrier to his master, set the knight thereon.
French Mediaeval Romances from the Lays of Marie de France
Marie de France
He bade his squire to saddle his destrier, and rode to the palace, to have speech with the lady.
French Mediaeval Romances from the Lays of Marie de France
Marie de France
The destrier was newly saddled and bridled, and showed proudly in his rich gay trappings.
French Mediaeval Romances from the Lays of Marie de France
Marie de France

British Dictionary definitions for destrier

destrier

noun

an archaic word for warhorse (def. 1)

Word Origin for destrier

C13: from Old French, from destre right hand, from Latin dextra; from the fact that a squire led a knight's horse with his right hand

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

Word Origin and History for destrier

war horse, c.1300, from Old French destrier (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *dextrarius "led by the right hand," from Latin dextra, fem. of dexter (see dexterity).