palfrey
[ pawl-free ]
/ ˈpɔl fri /
noun, plural pal·freys.
a riding horse, as distinguished from a war horse.
a saddle horse particularly suitable for a woman.
Origin of palfrey
1200–50; Middle English
palefrei < Old French < Late Latin
paraverēdus post horse for byways, probably literally, spare horse, equivalent to Greek
para-
para-1 + Latin
verēdus fast breed of horse < Gaulish < Celtic
*woreidos (> Welsh
gorwydd horse, charger), equivalent to
*wo- under (<
*upo-; cf.
hypo-) +
*reid-, base of Old Irish
réidid (he) rides,
réid level, smooth, easy, Welsh
rhwydd easy; see
ride
OTHER WORDS FROM palfrey
pal·freyed, adjectiveWords nearby palfrey
paletot,
palette,
palette knife,
palette of narmer,
paley,
palfrey,
palgrave,
pali,
pali canon,
palikar,
palikinesia
Example sentences from the Web for palfrey
British Dictionary definitions for palfrey
palfrey
/ (ˈpɔːlfrɪ) /
noun
archaic
a light saddle horse, esp ridden by women
Word Origin for palfrey
C12: from Old French
palefrei, from Medieval Latin
palafredus, from Late Latin
paraverēdus, from Greek
para beside + Latin
verēdus light fleet horse, of Celtic origin