one of a religious and military order first established at jerusalem, in the early part of the 12th century, for the protection of pilgrims and of the holy sepulcher. these knights templars, or knights of the temple, were so named because they occupied an apartment of the palace of bladwin ii. in jerusalem, near the temple.-a student of law, so called from having apartments in the temple at london, the original buildings having belonged to the knights templars. see inner temple, and middle temple, under temple.-one belonged to a certain order or degree among the freemasons, called knights templars. also, one of an order among temperance men, styled good templars.-of or pertaining to a temple.