What does "knave" mean?
Knave: Any male servant; a menial. [Obs.] Chaucer. He's but Fortune's knave, A minister of her will. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.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.
- 3.A playing card marked with the figure of a servant or soldier; a jack. Knave child, a male child. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00