bayards
|bay-ard|
🇺🇸
/ˈbeɪərd/
🇬🇧
/ˈbeɪəd/
(bayard)
bay-colored horse; legendary steed
Etymology
'bayard' originates from Old French, specifically the word 'baiart' or 'baiard', where 'bai' meant 'bay' (the horse color) and the suffix '-ard' formed a noun.
'bayard' changed from Old French 'baiart' into Middle English 'bayard' and became used both as a common noun for a bay-colored horse and as a proper name for the legendary horse Bayard in medieval literature.
Initially, it meant 'a bay-colored horse,' but over time it also became the proper name of a famous legendary horse ('Bayard') and a surname, extending the word's cultural and literary associations.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of bayard: a horse that is bay in color (reddish-brown body with black mane, tail, and lower legs), especially used in heraldry or descriptive contexts.
The family's coat of arms showed three bayards rearing above a shield.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
plural of Bayard: instances or representations of Bayard, the legendary magic bay horse from medieval chansons de geste (a horse noted for strength, intelligence, and sometimes the ability to carry multiple riders).
Illustrations in the manuscript depicted several bayards carrying heroes through enchanted forests.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/01 08:03