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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Knave \Knave\ (n[=a]v), noun [OE., boy, servant, knave, AS. cnafa boy, youth; cf. AS. cnapa boy, youth, D. knaap, G. knabe boy, knappe esquire, Icel. knapi, Sw. knape esquire, kn["a]fvel knave.]
1. A boy; especially, a boy servant. [Obs.] --Wyclif. Chaucer.
O murderous slumber, Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy That plays thee music ? Gentle knave, good night. --Shak.
2. Any male servant; a menial. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
He's but Fortune's knave, A minister of her will. --Shak.
3. A tricky, deceitful fellow; a dishonest person; a rogue; a villain. ''A pair of crafty knaves.'' --Shak.
In defiance of demonstration, knaves will continue to proselyte fools. --Ames.
Note: ''How many serving lads must have been unfaithful and dishonest before knave -- which meant at first no more than boy -- acquired the meaning which it has now !'' --Trench.
4. A playing card marked with the figure of a servant or soldier; a jack; as, the knave of hearts.
{Knave child}, a male child. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Syn: Villain; cheat; rascal; rogue; scoundrel; miscreant.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
knave
noun
1: a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel [syn: {rogue}, {rascal}, {rapscallion}, {scalawag}, {scallywag}, {varlet}]
2: one of four face cards in a deck bearing a picture of a young prince [syn: {jack}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
77 Moby Thesaurus words for "knave": ace, bad boy, bastard, best bower, blackguard, booger, bower, buffoon, bugger, cards, clubs, cutup, deck, deuce, devil, diamonds, dummy, elf, enfant terrible, face cards, flush, full house, funmaker, hand, hearts, heel, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, imp, jack, joker, jokester, king, left bower, little devil, little monkey, little rascal, lowlife, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, miscreant, pack, pair, picture cards, pixie, playing cards, practical joker, prankster, precious rascal, puck, queen, rapscallion, rascal, rogue, round, rowdy, royal flush, rubber, ruff, ruffian, scalawag, scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, shyster, singleton, sneak, spades, spalpeen, straight, trey, trick, trump, villain, wag
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |