Meaning of Gauntlet | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Two parallel rows of attackers who strike at a criminal as punishment.
   archaic
2. Protective armor for the hands, formerly thrown down as a challenge to combat.
3. A long glove covering the wrist.
4. A simultaneous attack from two or more sides.
5. A rope on which hammocks or clothes are hung for drying.
6. Any challenging, difficult, or painful ordeal, often one performed for atonement or punishment.
   figuratively
7. An eruption of pellagra on the hands.
8. Overlapping parallel rail tracks; either to allowing passage through a narrow opening in each direction without switching, or to allow vehicles of a larger gauge to pass through a station without hitting the platforms.

Equivalents

Examples

“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.”

“The hawk no longer darts forth from the gauntlet to soar through the air for his prey.”

“Solventproof rubber gauntlets under solventproof sleeves closed at the wrists should be worn.”

“[John] Winthrop ran the gantlet of daily slights from his neighbors.”

CEFR level