cavalry

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

|Updated on: 6 Jul 2018

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

The annual ceremony involving over 1,400 guardsmen and cavalry, is believed to have first been performed during the reign of King Charles II.

— ashley hoffman, Time, "Meghan Markle Aced the Queen's Birthday Bash at the 2018 Trooping of the Colour," 9 June 2018
Chelsea's response was to fling on the cavalry, on came Olivier Giroud and Eden Hazard to save their Premier League season.

— SI.com, "Chelsea 1-1 Huddersfield: Terriers Secure Premier League Status With Heroic Draw at Stamford Bridge," 9 May 2018
Each was dressed in the dark blue frock-coat military uniform of the Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment.

— christina boyle, latimes.com, "Joyous crowds greet newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after their marriage ceremony," 19 May 2018
But the cavalry Schifter had summoned didn’t answer the call.

— jessica pressler, Daily Intelligencer, "The Tragic End to a Longtime Black-Car Driver’s Campaign Against Uber," 15 May 2018
The new variant will go to brigade combat teams fielding the Stryker vehicle, including an armored cavalry regiment in Europe.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Army Is Rushing to Field Drone-Killing Stryker Armored Vehicles," 7 May 2018
All the children missing or buried in Pennsylvania are believed to be connected to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, the nation’s first federal off-reservation boarding school, founded in 1879 by former cavalry officer Richard Henry Pratt.

— jeff gammage, Philly.com, "A search for native children who died on 'Outings' in Pa.," 2 May 2018
But after a freak accident, the cavalry is finally arriving.

— rich mayor, Naperville Sun, "'We don't want to overdo it': Benet eases sophomore star Megan Seranko back into regular pitching role," 28 Apr. 2018
Buffalo Soldiers In 1913, a fort in the Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona became home to the Army's 10th Cavalry, one of two African-American cavalry units Native Americans referred to as Buffalo Soldiers.

— azcentral, "From climate to fry bread, 125 reasons to love Arizona," 15 May 2015

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Military Terms

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

CAVALRY Defined for English Language Learners

cavalry

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

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

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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

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