Chevalier

Chevalier, an honorary title given, especially in the 18th century, to younger sons of French noble families. Brought up in comparative luxury, and left at the death of their fathers almost entirely unprovided for, these men generally lived at the expense of others, as a sort of aristocratic parasites, even when they did not prefer recourse to such less honourable means of livelihood as gave occasion to the synonym for swindler, chevalier d'industrie. In the plays of the 18th century the chevalier is a constant figure.—Both the Old and Young Pretender were called the Chevalier by their partisans.