cava

n. [ F. cavalier, It. cavaliere, LL. caballarius, fr. L. caballus. See Cavalcade, and cf. Chevalier, Caballine. ] 1. A military man serving on horseback; a knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A gay, sprightly, military man; hence, a gallant. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One of the court party in the time of king Charles I. as contrasted with a Roundhead or an adherent of Parliament. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Fort.) A work of more than ordinary height, rising from the level ground of a bastion, etc., and overlooking surrounding parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. offhand; unceremonious; gay; easy; frank. Opposed to serious. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

The plodding, persevering scupulous accuracy of the one, and the easy, cavalier, verbal fluency of the other, form a complete contrast. Hazlitt. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. High-spirited. [ Obs. ] “The people are naturally not valiant, and not much cavalier.” Suckling. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Supercilious; haughty; disdainful; curt; brusque. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Of or pertaining to the party of King Charles I. “An old Cavalier family.” Beaconsfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Somewhat like a cavalier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The practice or principles of cavaliers. Sir. W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a supercilious, disdainful, or haughty manner; arrogantly. Junius. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A disdainful manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Sp. caballero. See Cavalier. ] A cavalier; a gallant; a libertine. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Pg. cavalla a kind of fish; Sp. caballa; prob. fr. Pg. cavallo horse, Sp. caballa. ] (Zool.) A carangoid fish of the Atlantic coast (Caranx hippos): -- called also horse crevallé. [ See Illust. under Carangoid. ] [ 1913 Webster ]