palfrey
[ pawl-free ]
/ ˈpɔl fri /
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noun, plural pal·freys.
a riding horse, as distinguished from a war horse.
a saddle horse particularly suitable for a woman.
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Origin of palfrey
1200–50; Middle English palefrei<Old French <Late Latin paraverēdus post horse for byways, probably literally, spare horse, equivalent to Greek para-para-1 + Latin verēdus fast breed of horse <Gaulish <Celtic *woreidos (>Welsh gorwydd horse, charger), equivalent to *wo- under (<*upo-;cf. hypo-) + *reid-, base of Old Irish réidid (he) rides, réid level, smooth, easy, Welsh rhwydd easy; see ride
OTHER WORDS FROM palfrey
palfreyed, adjectiveWords nearby palfrey
paletot, palette, palette knife, pale western cutworm, Paley, palfrey, Palgrave, pali, Pali Canon, palikar, palikinesia
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for palfrey
British Dictionary definitions for palfrey
palfrey
/ (ˈpɔːlfrɪ) /
noun
archaic a light saddle horse, esp ridden by women
Word Origin for palfrey
C12: from Old French palefrei, from Medieval Latin palafredus, from Late Latin paraverēdus, from Greek para beside + Latin verēdus light fleet horse, of Celtic origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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