English

Alternative forms

• mano-a-mano

Noun

mano a mano

1. A head-on conflict or direct competition; a duel.

   The other candidates seemed to disappear as the public debate became a heated mano-a-mano between the two leading candidates.

Translations

Adjective

mano a mano ‎(not comparable)

1. In close confrontation.

   We sat tensely in the courtroom while the mano-a-mano struggle ensued between the two skilled lawyers.

   • 2016 May 23, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “Apocalypse pits the strengths of the X-Men series against the weaknesses”, in The Onion AV Club:

     When he finally goes mano a mano with Xavier at the climax, it’s in a psychic battle staged inside the latter’s dreamspace, which happens to look exactly like his mansion

Adverb

mano a mano ‎(not comparable)

1. Characterized by head-to-head competition or conflict.

   The newcomer brashly engaged the veteran player mano-a-mano.

Usage notes

• This phrase is commonly misunderstood by English speakers who think that the term means “man to man”, though in use this meaning would still be similar.

Portuguese

Etymology

• Directly borrowed from Spanish.

Noun

mano a mano m (plural mano a manos)

1. mano a mano (a head-on conflict or direct competition)

Adverb

mano a mano (not comparable)

1. mano a mano (by means of a head-to-head competition)

Spanish

Adjective

mano a mano ‎(invariable)

1. hand to hand (competition), or sometimes hand in hand (cooperation); on equal terms, close together.

Noun

mano a mano m ‎(plural mano a mano)

1. A corrida in which two rival matadors alternate in fighting several bulls each.