cavalry

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noun cav·al·ry \ ˈka-vəl-rē , nonstandard ˈkal-və-rē \

Definition of cavalry

plural cavalries

1 a :an army component mounted on horseback

b :an army component moving in motor vehicles or helicopters and assigned to combat missions that require great mobility

2 :horsemen

a thousand cavalry in flight

See cavalry defined for English-language learners

See cavalry defined for kids

Examples of cavalry in a Sentence

Cavalry is used to perform reconnaissance.
The cavalry were brought in to support the mission.

Recent Examples of cavalry from the Web

For a school besieged by financial issues, the Adidas deal arrives like a last-reel cavalry charge with the fort under attack.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Adidas deal should ease friction at University of Louisville | Tim Sullivan," 25 Aug. 2017
A cavalry scout in Vietnam in the early-'70s, Mike later passed the exams to become a Military Intelligence Warrant Officer.

— robert bateman, Esquire, "A Few Words About My Friend Michelle, and Trump's Transgender Military Ban," 24 Aug. 2017
Yes, Mom/Dad/Coach/Physio/Agent and the rest of the tennis cavalry are invariably clapping, high-fiving etc.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Injuries Will Be Common Theme at U.S. Open, But What's To Blame?," 23 Aug. 2017
Count all the fails Up until now, the various factions of Westeros have largely faced each other with masses of infantry and cavalry.

— sean gallagher, Ars Technica, "Getting medieval: A military analysis of Game of Thrones’ Westeros War," 10 Aug. 2017
According to BuzzFeed News, many of the animals are descendants of horses used by the U.S. cavalry, ranchers, and even Spanish explorers who came here centuries ago.

— maria carter, Country Living, "Animal Activists Fight Against Government Spending Cut to Budget for Wild Horse Care," 25 July 2017
But the cavalry set to charge down Broad Street this week brings veteran savvy, a lot of scoring punch, and expectations of a run to a title game showdown with Mexico.

— jonathan tannenwald, Philly.com, "Union's Alejandro Bedoya leaves U.S. Gold Cup team ahead of birth of second child," 16 July 2017
On Monday, dozens of re-enactors acted out a cavalry battle in the morning.

— connor sheets, AL.com, "Alabama road trippers find living history at Gettysburg," 4 July 2017
Nevertheless, Coppola creates a portrait of the repressed, isolated lives of women and girls during wartime — even if the only overt signs of battle here are faraway explosions and the occasional cavalry coming by.

— sandy cohen, Detroit Free Press, "Review: ‘Beguiled’ remake is stylish but its message is muddled," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cavalry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cavalry

Italian cavalleria cavalry, chivalry, from cavaliere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1546

See Words from the same year

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

CAVALRY Defined for English Language Learners

cavalry

play

noun

Definition of cavalry for English Language Learners

: the part of an army that in the past had soldiers who rode horses and that now has soldiers who ride in vehicles or helicopters

CAVALRY Defined for Kids

cavalry

play

noun cav·al·ry \ ˈka-vəl-rē \

Definition of cavalry for Students

plural cavalries

:a unit of troops mounted on horseback or moving in motor vehicles

Learn More about cavalry

Spanish Central: Translation of cavalry Nglish: Translation of cavalry for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cavalry

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cavalry

Definition of cavalry

Examples of cavalry in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cavalry from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cavalry

Other Military Terms

CAVALRY Defined for English Language Learners

cavalry

Definition of cavalry for English Language Learners

CAVALRY Defined for Kids

cavalry

Definition of cavalry for Students

Learn More about cavalry

Seen and Heard

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cavalry

Definition of cavalry

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Examples of cavalry in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of cavalry

Other Military Terms

CAVALRY Defined for English Language Learners

cavalry

Definition of cavalry for English Language Learners

CAVALRY Defined for Kids

cavalry

Definition of cavalry for Students

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