gauntlet (redirected from throwing down the gauntlet)

gaunt·let ¹ also gant·let  (gôntlt, gänt-)

n.

1. A protective glove worn with medieval armor.

2. A protective glove with a flared cuff, used in manual labor, in certain sports, and for driving.

3. A challenge: throw down the gauntlet; take up the gauntlet.

4. A dress glove cuffed above the wrist.

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[Middle English, from Old French gantelet, diminutive of gant, glove, from Frankish *want.]

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gaunt·let ² also gant·let  (gôntlt, gänt-)

n.

1.

a. A form of punishment or torture in which people armed with sticks or other weapons arrange themselves in two lines facing each other and beat the person forced to run between them.

b. The lines of people so arranged.

2. An onslaught or attack from all sides: "The hostages . . . ran the gauntlet of insult on their way to the airport" (Harper's).

3. A severe trial; an ordeal.

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[Alteration (influenced by gauntlet) of gantlope, from Swedish gatlopp : gata, lane (from Old Norse; see gh- in Indo-European roots) + lopp, course, running (from Middle Low German lp).]

Word History: The spelling gauntlet is acceptable for both gauntlet meaning "glove" or "challenge" and gauntlet meaning "a form of punishment in which lines of men beat a person forced to run between them"; but this has not always been the case. The story of the gauntlet used in to throw down the gauntlet is linguistically unexciting: it comes from the Old French word gantelet, a diminutive of gant, "glove." From the time of its appearance in Middle English (in a work composed in 1449), the word has been spelled with an au as well as an a, still a possible spelling. But the gauntlet used in to run the gauntlet is an alteration of the earlier English form gantlope, which came from the Swedish word gatlopp, a compound of gata, "lane," and lopp, "course." The earliest recorded form of the English word, found in 1646, is gantelope, showing that alteration of the Swedish word had already occurred. The English word was then influenced by the spelling of the word gauntlet, "glove," and in 1676 we find the first recorded instance of the spelling gauntlet for this word, although gantelope is found as late as 1836. From then on spellings with au and a are both found, but the au seems to have won out.

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gauntlet ¹

Noun

1. a long heavy protective glove

2. a medieval armoured glove

3. take up the gauntlet to accept a challenge [Old French gantelet]

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gauntlet ²

Noun

run the gauntlet to be exposed to criticism or harsh treatment [Swedish gatlopp passageway]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	gauntlet - to offer or accept a challenge; "threw down the gauntlet"; "took up the gauntlet" gantlet challenge - a call to engage in a contest or fight
	2.	gauntlet - a glove of armored leather; protects the hand metal glove, gantlet body armor, body armour, cataphract, coat of mail, suit of armor, suit of armour - armor that protects the wearer's whole body glove - handwear: covers the hand and wrist
	3.	gauntlet - a glove with long sleeve gantlet glove - handwear: covers the hand and wrist
	4.	gauntlet - a form of punishment in which a person is forced to run between two lines of men facing each other and armed with clubs or whips to beat the victim gantlet corporal punishment - the infliction of physical injury on someone convicted of committing a crime

Translations

gauntlet [ˈgɔːntlɪt] n (fig): to run the gauntlet of sth → exponerse a algo;

to throw down the gauntlet → arrojar el guante

gauntlet [ˈgɔːntlɪt] n (fig);

to throw down the gauntlet → jeter le gant;

to run the gauntlet through an angry crowd → se frayer un passage à travers une foule hostile or entre deux haies de manifestants etc hostiles

gauntlet [ˈgɔːntlɪt] n → (Stulpen)handschuh m (fig);

to run the gauntlet → Spießruten laufen;

to throw down the gauntlet → den Fehdehandschuh hinwerfen

gauntlet [ˈgɔːntlɪt] n (fig): to run the gauntlet through an angry crowd → passare sotto il fuoco di una folla ostile;

to throw down the gauntlet → gettare il guanto