gauntlet
1[ gawnt-lit, gahnt- ]
/ ˈgɔnt lɪt, ˈgɑnt- /
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noun
a medieval glove, as of mail or plate, worn by a knight in armor to protect the hand.
a glove with an extended cuff for the wrist.
the cuff itself.
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Idioms about gauntlet
- to accept a challenge to fight: He was always willing to take up the gauntlet for a good cause.
- to show one's defiance.
- to challenge.
- to defy.
take up the gauntlet,
throw down the gauntlet,
Origin of gauntlet
11375–1425; late Middle English gantelet<Middle French, diminutive of gant glove <Germanic *want-; compare Old Norse vǫttr
OTHER WORDS FROM gauntlet
gaunt·let·ed, adjectiveun·gaunt·let·ed, adjectiveWords nearby gauntlet
Other definitions for gauntlet (2 of 2)
gauntlet2
[ gawnt-lit, gahnt- ]
/ ˈgɔnt lɪt, ˈgɑnt- /
noun Also gantlet (for defs. 1, 2, 4).
a former punishment, chiefly military, in which the offender was made to run between two rows of men who struck at him with switches or weapons as he passed.
the two rows of men administering this punishment.
an attack from two or all sides.
trying conditions; an ordeal.
verb (used with object)
Origin of gauntlet
2First recorded in 1670–80; alteration of gantlope
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for gauntlet (1 of 2)
gauntlet1
gantlet
/ (ˈɡɔːntlɪt) /
noun
a medieval armoured leather glove
a heavy glove with a long cuff
take up the gauntlet to accept a challenge
throw down the gauntlet to offer a challenge
Word Origin for gauntlet
C15: from Old French gantelet, diminutive of gant glove, of Germanic origin
British Dictionary definitions for gauntlet (2 of 2)
gauntlet2
/ (ˈɡɔːntlɪt) /
noun
a punishment in which the victim is forced to run between two rows of men who strike at him as he passes: formerly a military punishment
run the gauntlet
- to suffer this punishment
- to endure an onslaught or ordeal, as of criticism
a testing ordeal; trial
a variant spelling of gantlet 1 (def. 1)
Word Origin for gauntlet
C15: changed (through influence of gauntlet 1) from earlier gantlope; see gantlet 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with gauntlet
gauntlet
see run the gauntlet; throw down the gauntlet.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.










