bachelor

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: bach=e=lor

CIDE DICTIONARY

bachelor, n. [OF. bacheler young man, F. bachelier (cf. Pr. bacalar, Sp. bachiller, Pg. bacharel, It. baccalare), LL. baccalarius the tenant of a kind of farm called baccalaria, a soldier not old or rich enough to lead his retainers into battle with a banner, a person of an inferior academical degree aspiring to a doctorate. In the latter sense, it was afterward changed to baccalaureus. See Baccalaureate, n.].

•  A man of any age who has not been married.  [1913 Webster]

  "As merry and mellow an old bachelor as ever followed a hound."  [1913 Webster]
•  An unmarried woman.  B. Jonson.  [1913 Webster]
•  A person who has taken the first or lowest degree in the liberal arts, or in some branch of science, at a college or university; as, a bachelor of arts.  [1913 Webster]
•  A knight who had no standard of his own, but fought under the standard of another in the field; often, a young knight.  [1913 Webster]
•  In the companies of London tradesmen, one not yet admitted to wear the livery; a junior member.  [1913 Webster]
•  A kind of bass, an edible fresh-water fish (Pomoxys annularis) of the southern United States.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bachelor, n.
1 an unmarried man.
2 a man or woman who has taken the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Science etc.
3 hist. a young knight serving under another's banner.

Idiom

bachelor girl an independent unmarried young woman. bachelor's buttons any of various button-like flowers, esp. the double buttercup.

Derivative

bachelorhood n. bachelorship n.

Etymology

ME & OF bacheler aspirant to knighthood, of uncert. orig.

THESAURUS

bachelor

Bayard, Don Quixote, Gawain, Lancelot, Ritter, Sidney, Sir Galahad, baccalaureate, baccalaureus, bach, banneret, baronet, caballero, cavalier, chevalier, companion, confirmed bachelor, degree, doctor, doctorate, knight, knight bachelor, knight banneret, knight baronet, knight-errant, master, old bach, single man

ROGET THESAURUS

bachelor

Celibacy

N celibacy, singleness, single blessedness, bachelorhood, bachelorship, misogamy, misogyny, virginity, pucelage, maidenhood, maidenhead, unmarried man, bachelor, Coelebs, agamist, old bachelor, misogamist, misogynist, monogamist, monk, unmarried woman, spinster, maid, maiden, virgin, feme sole, old maid, bachelor girl, girl-bachelor, nun, unmarried, unwed, unwedded, wifeless, spouseless, single.