knight

knight in shining armor

A selfless, chivalrous man who helps a woman in distress. When the police officer pulled over to help the old woman change her flat tire, she hugged him and said he was her knight in shining armor.

See also: armor, knight, shine

white knight

1. One who saves another person from harm or a difficult situation. I don't remember much from the accident, but I am forever grateful to the white knight who freed me from my car. When Sally came to help with the kids when I was in the hospital, she really was our white night.

2. A person or company that purchases, or gives money to, another company that is in financial distress or about to be acquired by a third party. We all thought we were going to lose our jobs, but then a white knight purchased the company and saved it from bankruptcy.

all-nighter

1. The act of staying up all night to complete an activity, usually some kind of academic project. I'm going to have to pull an all-nighter if I'm going to get this term paper done in time for school tomorrow.

2. An establishment that remains open all night. Kyle and Amanda stopped at an all-nighter for a snack after the concert.

3. One who stays awake all night. Jess is a total all-nighter, so that third-shift job is perfect for her.

a knight in shining armor

someone who helps you when you are in a difficult situation She was looking for a knight in shining armor who might save her from her boring life.

Usage notes: usually said by a woman about a man

Etymology: in medieval times (500 to 1500 C.E.), knights were soldiers on horses who were also supposed to help and protect women

See also: armor, knight, shine

a knight in shining armour

(British & Australian) also a knight in shining armor (American & Australian)

someone who helps you when you are in a difficult situation

Usage notes: In stories about medieval times (= the time between 500 and 1500 AD), knights were soldiers who rode on horses and helped women in difficult or dangerous situations.

She looked around the bar to see if there was a knight in shining armour who might come and save her from this awful man.

a white knight

someone who gives money to a company in order to prevent it from being bought by another company Hope is fading that a white knight will appear to stop the takeover bid.

knight in shining armor

A rescuer or defender, as in What this political party needs is a knight in shining armor to change its tarnished image . This metaphoric expression alludes to a medieval knight. [Mid-1900s]

See also: armor, knight, shine

all-nighter

1. n. something that lasts all night, like a party or study session. After an all-nighter studying, I couldn’t keep my eyes open for the test.

2. n. a place of business that is open all night. We stopped at an all-nighter for a cup of coffee.

3. n. a person who often stays up all night. I’m no all-nighter. I need my beauty sleep, for sure.

knight in shining armor

A wonderful guy. Fairy tales chronicled fair maidens in distress who were rescued at the last minute from dragons and ogres by a gallant knight in gleaming armor, where-upon they all lived happily ever after. Even if a young woman didn't view herself as a princess or consider herself in desperate straits, she still imagined herself being carried off by the man of her dreams, Prince Charming, a knight in shining armor.

See also: armor, knight, shine

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Alexandrine	al-eg-zan-DREEN (French), ah-lek-sahn-DREE-nə (German)	French, German
KyÖSti	KUY-uus-tee	Finnish
Puanani	-	Hawaiian
Valentine (1)	VAL-ən-tien	English
Shayna	-	Yiddish
Tadeo	tah-DE-o	Spanish