gauntlet
1a 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.
Idioms about gauntlet
take up the gauntlet / glove,
to accept a challenge to fight: He was always willing to take up the gauntlet for a good cause.
to show one's defiance.
throw down the gauntlet / glove,
to challenge.
to defy.
Origin of gauntlet
1Other words from gauntlet
- gaunt·let·ed, adjective
- un·gaunt·let·ed, adjective
Other definitions for gauntlet (2 of 2)
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.
Origin of gauntlet
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for gauntlet (1 of 2)
gantlet
/ (ˈɡɔːntlɪt) /
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
Origin of gauntlet
1British Dictionary definitions for gauntlet (2 of 2)
/ (ˈɡɔːntlɪt) /
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)
Origin of gauntlet
2Collins 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
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.
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