Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who is bannered or entitled to a banner; specifically, a knight of a certain grade in the military hierarchy of the middle ages.
  • noun Formerly, the title of magistrates of the second rank in some Swiss cantons, and also of certain officers of some of the Italian republics.
  • noun A little banner; a banderole.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Originally, a knight who led his vassals into the field under his own banner; -- commonly used as a title of rank.
  • noun A title of rank, conferred for heroic deeds, and hence, an order of knighthood; also, the person bearing such title or rank.
  • noun A civil officer in some Swiss cantons.
  • noun A small banner.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A noble, knighted feudal lord who has the right to lead his vassals to battle under his own banner
  • noun A small banner.
  • noun military, historical A proposed but unadopted senior commissioned rank of the Royal Air Force equivalent to group captain.
  • noun A civil officer in some Swiss cantons.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a knight honored for valor; entitled to display a square banner and to hold higher command

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Borrowing from French banneret.

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Examples

  • On the blue field of the banneret was the yellow sun with a black centre, and between the four greater yellow rays, four black rays emerging, so that the sun looked like a wheel spinning with a dazzling motion.

    The Plumed Serpent 2003

  • If you neglect it, you might as well go out as an unarmed knight-banneret to fight against men in armor.

    The Magic Skin 2007

  • His armour and his horse were black; there was no device on his shield and no banneret on his spear.

    The Silver Chair Lewis, C. S. 1953

  • Selden, indeed, points out that "the old stories" often have _baronetti_ for _bannereti_, and he points out that in France the title had become hereditary; but he himself is careful to say (p. 680) that banneret "hath no relation to this later title."

    Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" Various

  • The last authentic instance of the creation of a knight banneret was that of John Smith, created banneret at the battle of Edgehill by Charles I. for rescuing the royal standard from the enemy.

    Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" Various

  • William de la Pole rescues Edward III., detained in Flanders by want of money, and is made a knight-banneret; his son Michael is created earl of Suffolk; one of his grandsons is killed at Agincourt; another besieges Orléans, which is delivered by Joan of Arc; he becomes duke of Suffolk, is impeached in 1450 for high treason and beheaded; no honour is lacking to the house.

    A Literary History of the English People From the Origins to the Renaissance Jean Jules Jusserand

  • English Catholics, among whom knights harbingers and banneret bearers of the Primrose League are numerous, who have leant all their weight in the scale to maintain the Protestant ascendancy in Ireland, have been ever ready when occasion arose to appeal to the religious loyalty of the

    Ireland and the Home Rule Movement Michael F. J. McDonnell

  • The title of knight banneret, with the right to display the private banner, came to be granted for distinguished service in the field.

    Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 3 "Banks" to "Bassoon" Various

  • The peak of this awful spur was just touched by a fleecy cloud that shifted to and fro like a banneret.

    The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 12, No. 72, October, 1863 Various

  • The Abbot's Apparitor drew forth his roll and read aloud: -- 'Sir Robert de Shurland, Knight banneret, Baron of Shurland and Minster, and Lord of Sheppey.

    Half-Hours with Great Story-Tellers Various

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