gaunt‧let /ˈɡɔːntlət, ˈɡɔːntlɪt $ ˈɡɒːnt-/
noun[
Sense 1-2, 4-5: Date: 1400-1500;
Language: French;
Origin: gantelet, from gant 'glove']
[
Sense 3: Date: 1600-1700;
Language: Swedish;
Origin: gatlopp, from Old Swedish gata 'way, road' + lop 'course, run']
1. throw down the gauntlet to invite someone to fight or compete over a disagreement
2. pick up/take up the gauntlet to accept the invitation to fight or compete over a disagreement
3. run the gauntlet to be criticized or attacked by a lot of people:
The foreign secretary ran the gauntlet of demonstrators.4. [countable] a long
glove that covers someone’s wrist and protects their hand, for example in a factory
5. [countable] a
glove covered in metal, used for protection by soldiers in the past
[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲