Forms: 6–7 cavallerie, -arie, 7 cavallery, cavalary, chavallery, cavellerie, cavelrie, 7– cavalry. [In 16–17th c. cavallery, a. F. cavallerie (16th c. in Littré), ad. It. cavalleria (= Pr. cavalaria, Sp. caballeria):—Romanic type caballari·a, f. L. caballārius horseman. See -ERY. (The native Fr. form of the word was chevalerie, whence Eng. chivalry.) Massinger (1632), accented cava·llery, but other spellings appear to indicate ca·vallery, whence also ca·valry in the middle of the 17th c. (See also CHAVALLERY, CHIVALRY.)]
† 1. Horsemanship; chivalry. Obs.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., 266, note. The likest to him for armes and cavallarie (as we terme it).
1625. Markham, Souldiers Accid. (title), The Cavallarie or Formes of Trayning of Horse-Troopes.
1644. Milton, Educ., Wks. (1847), 101. All the Art of Cavalry.
1670. Lassels, Voy. Italy (1698), II. 265. Here they tilt, and use other sports of Cavalry.
† 2. Knighthood; an order of chivalry. Obs.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 460. Cicero … re-established the Knighthood and Cauallerie of Rome in their former estate and place.
1616. Sir N. Brent, trans. Sarpi’s Hist. Counc. Trent (1676), 366. To institute a Religion of an hundred persons, like unto a Cavalary.
1625. Fletcher, Fair Maid, II. i. 37. To keep off the Cavelrie and Gentry.
1632. Brome, Court Beggar, II. i. Wks. 1873, I. 207. All The cavalry of Court.
3. The collective name for horse-soldiers; that part of a military force which consists of mounted troops. Opposed to infantry.
(Usually construed with plural vb., exc. a cavalry, which has pl. cavalries.)
1591. Garrard, Art Warre, 225. The companies of the couragious Cauallerie.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, V. i. 141.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1245. The cavallery of the Thebanes.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., 74. You may haue a good Cauallerie, but neuer good stable Bands of Foot.
1632. Massinger, Maid of Hon., II. iii. I in mine owne person, With part of the cavallery, will bid, These hunters welcome to a bloody breakefast.
1644. Milton, Educ. (1738), 137. Two Troops of Cavalry.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Warrs, 355. The Cavallery belonging to the United States.
a. 1714. Burnet, Own Time, an. 1694 (R.). They sent away their cavalry with so much haste.
1834. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), III. 127. A struggle between the opposing cavalries, which shall keep itself in condition for action longest.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 592. The cavalry were about a thousand in number.
b. transf. Horses, horsemen, etc., collectively.
1684. Dk. Beaufort’s Progr. Wales (1864), 17. Leading horses to supply accidents and defects in the coach-cavalry.
1792. A. Young, Trav. France, 11. A traveller so weak in cavalry as myself.
1870. Disraeli, Lothair, xxi. 89. Troops of social cavalry cantered and caracolled in morning rides.
1881. Duffield, Don Quix., II. 550. Donkeys … the ordinary Cavalry of Country Maids.
c. (See quot.)
1820. Hoyle’s Games Impr., 347. A variation of this game [Draughts], entitled Constitutional Checkers. Ibid., 348. The pieces with the turrets to be considered as Cavalry, and the flat pieces as Infantry. Ibid. A king may not be taken backwards by Cavalry or Infantry, unless they have been to king.
4. attrib. and Comb.
1799. Instr. & Reg. Cavalry (1803), 350. The principles of all cavalry evolutions.
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., III. 144. On cavalry days, when guests are invited to dine with the regiment.
1852. Grote, Greece, II. lxxvi. X. 77. A cavalry-soldier … was reckoned as equivalent to four hoplites.
1860. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt., III. cxix. 61. Cavalry-men on both sides.
1861. Times, 22 Oct., 6/5. One fine old man, in a blue cavalry jacket with yellow braid, attracted my attention, as he was in a private’s dress, and looked like a gentleman.
1871. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 163. A daring cavalry-charge.
