paladin
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paladin
History1. one of the legendary twelve peers of Charlemagne's court
2. a knightly champion
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Paladin
in medieval Western European literature, one of the 12 peers of the Frankish emperor Charlemagne. Later, the term came to be applied to any valorous knight devoted to his lord or lady.
The term “paladin” is also applied ironically to any person utterly devoted to an idea or person.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Paladin
archetypal gunman who leaves a calling card. [TV: Have Gun, Will Travel in Terrace, I, 341]
See: Wild West
Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.