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Webster 1913 Edition
Gauntlet
Gaunt′let
,Noun.
[F.
gantelet
, dim. of gant
glove, LL. wantus
, of Teutonic origin; cf. D. want
, Sw. & Dan. vante
, Icel. vöttr
, for vantr
.] 1.
A glove of such material that it defends the hand from wounds.
☞ The gauntlet of the Middle Ages was sometimes of chain mail, sometimes of leather partly covered with plates, scales, etc., of metal sewed to it, and, in the 14th century, became a glove of small steel plates, carefully articulated and covering the whole hand except the palm and the inside of the fingers.
2.
A long glove, covering the wrist.
3.
(Naut.)
A rope on which hammocks or clothes are hung for drying.
To take up the gauntlet
, to accept a challenge.
– To throw down the gauntlet
, to offer or send a challenge. The gauntlet or glove was thrown down by the knight challenging, and was taken up by the one who accepted the challenge; – hence the phrases.
Definition 2024
gauntlet
gauntlet
English
Alternative forms
Noun
Gauntlets
gauntlet (plural gauntlets)
- Protective armor for the hands.
- 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 22:
- The hands were defended by Gauntlets, these were sometimes of chain mail, but oftener of small plates of iron rivetted together, in imitation of the lobster's tail, so as to yield every motion of the hand, some gauntlets inclosed the whole hand, as in a box or case, others were divided into fingers, each finger consisting of eight or ten separate pieces, the inside gloved with buff leather, some of these reached no higher than the wrist, others to the elbow; the latter were stiled long armed gauntlets: many of them are to be seen in the Tower; for a representation of one of them, see plate 26, fig 6.
- 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 22:
- (nautical) A rope on which hammocks or clothes are hung for drying.
Derived terms
Translations
protective armor for the hands
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See also
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Gauntlet (glove) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Etymology 2
From gantlope, from Swedish gatlopp (“passageway”), from Old Swedish gata (“lane”) + lopp (“course”), from löpa (“to run”)
Noun
gauntlet (plural gauntlets)
- (archaic) Two parallel rows of attackers who strike at a criminal as punishment
- Simultaneous attack from two or more sides
- (figuratively) Any challenging, difficult, or painful ordeal, often one performed for atonement or punishment
- (rail transport) A temporary convergence of two parallel railroad tracks allowing passage through a narrow opening in each direction without switching.
Derived terms
Translations
two parallel rows of attackers who strike at a criminal
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simultaneous attack from two or more sides
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any challenging, difficult, or painful ordeal
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