gallant

Etymology 1

From Middle English galant, galaunt, from Old French galant (“courteous; dashing; brave”), present participle of galer (“to rejoice; make merry”), from gale (“pomp; show; festivity; mirth”); either from Frankish *wala (“good, well”), a variant form of *wela, from Proto-Germanic *wela (whence well), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, wish”); or alternatively from Frankish *gail (“merry; mirthful; proud; luxuriant”), from Proto-Germanic *gailaz (“merry; excited; luxurious”), related to Dutch geil (“horny; lascivious; salacious; lecherous”), German geil (“randy; horny; lecherous; wicked”), Old English gāl (“wanton; wicked; bad”).

adj

1. Brave, valiant.
   It is plain that the great majority of school children must be regarded, from the physical standpoint, as decidedly gallant little persons, who have wrestled through their infancy and have managed to come out of tribulations that have killed a large proportion of all the children of their birth-years. 1907, Margaret McMillan, Labour and Childhood, page 7
2. honorable.
3. grand, noble.
4. (obsolete) Showy; splendid; magnificent; gay; well-dressed.
   This town [is built in a very gallant place.

Etymology 2

17th-century borrowing from French galant. See above.

adj

1. Polite and attentive to ladies; courteous to women; chivalrous.
   I admire all that quaint, old-fashioned politeness; it is much more to my taste than modern ease; modern ease often disgusts me. But this good old Mr. Woodhouse, I wish you had heard his gallant speeches to me at dinner. Oh! I assure you I began to think my caro sposo would be absolutely jealous. 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume II, chapter 17

noun

1. (dated) A fashionable young man who is polite and attentive to women.
2. One who woos, a lover, a suitor, a seducer.
3. (nautical) A topgallant.

verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To attend or wait on (a lady).
   to gallant ladies to the play
2. (obsolete, transitive) To handle with grace or in a modish manner.
   to gallant a fan
3. To conduct, escort, convey.