battailant

English

Etymology

From French bataillant, present participle. See battle.

Adjective

battailant (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Prepared for battle; combatant; warlike.
   • 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Visions of the Worlds Vanitie”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC:

     An Elephant […] That on his backe did beare (as batteilant)
     A gilden towre.

Noun

battailant (plural battailants)

1. (obsolete) A combatant.
   • 1612–1620, [Miguel de Cervantes], Thomas Shelton, transl., The History of the Valorous and Wittie Knight-errant Don-Quixote of the Mancha. […], London: […] William Stansby, for Ed[ward] Blount and W. Barret, →OCLC:

     he presently thought that he was dead, and that those battaillants that fought so eagerly in the Room, had slain him

References

• “battailant”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.