duel
[ doo-uhl, dyoo- ]
/ ˈdu əl, ˈdyu- /
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noun
a prearranged combat between two persons, fought with deadly weapons according to an accepted code of procedure, especially to settle a private quarrel.
any contest between two persons or parties.
verb (used with or without object), du·eled, du·el·ing or (especially British) du·elled, du·el·ling.
to fight in a duel.
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Origin of duel
1585–95; earlier duell<Medieval Latin duellum,Latin: earlier form of bellum war, probably maintained and given sense “duel” by association with Latin duotwo
OTHER WORDS FROM duel
du·el·is·tic; especially British, du·el·lis·tic, adjectiveoutduel, verb (used with object), out·du·eled, out·du·el·ing or (especially British) out·du·elled, out·du·el·ling.WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH duel
dual, duelDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use duel in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for duel
duel
/ (ˈdjuːəl) /
noun
a prearranged combat with deadly weapons between two people following a formal procedure in the presence of seconds and traditionally fought until one party was wounded or killed, usually to settle a quarrel involving a point of honour
a contest or conflict between two persons or parties
verb duels, duelling or duelled or US duels, dueling or dueled (intr)
to fight in a duel
to contest closely
Derived forms of duel
dueller or duellist, nounWord Origin for duel
C15: from Medieval Latin duellum, from Latin, poetical variant of bellum war; associated by folk etymology with Latin duo two
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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