gladiator

[glad-ee-ey-ter]

noun

1. (in ancient Rome) a person, often a slave or captive, who was armed with a sword or other weapon and compelled to fight to the death in a public arena against another person or a wild animal, for the entertainment of the spectators.

2. a person who engages in a fight or controversy.

3. a prizefighter.

gladiator

/ ˈɡlædɪˌeɪtə /

noun

1. (in ancient Rome and Etruria) a man trained to fight in arenas to provide entertainment

2. a person who supports and fights publicly for a cause

Word History and Origins

Origin of gladiator¹

1535–45; < Latin gladiātor, equivalent to gladi ( us ) sword + -ātor -ator

Word History and Origins

Origin of gladiator¹

C16: from Latin: swordsman, from gladius sword

Example Sentences

These included high-speed chariot races, armed gladiators who fought to the death, and the feeding of unlucky people to hungry lions.

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Gladiators also gets the Children in Need treatment, as some mini gladiators enter the arena and The One Show's The Challenge Squad are also set to feature.

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Some even captured prey nearly their own size, including the sizable Rosenberg's gladiator tree frog, which can weigh up to 20 grams.

Read more on Science Daily

Last year, the California attorney general’s office won indictments against 30 officers who either orchestrated or allowed youths to engage in “gladiator fights.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But football is “violent chess. That is gladiators without swords. That is dangerous. The whole season, I am locked in on what that man is doing on the field.”

Read more on Salon