A gauntlet is a glove covered in steel that was worn in suits of armor, but it also means punishment or, when "throwing down the gauntlet," a challenge.
Gauntlet comes from the Old French word for "glove," which was thrown down as a symbol of a challenge. “Running the gauntlet” is an old military form of punishment in which the victim runs between two rows of men wearing armored gloves, who beat him as he passes through the lines. Today, if someone makes you run the gauntlet, they won’t really strike you with armored gloves, but they'll probably make you do something miserable.
1 |
n |
a glove of armored leather; protects the hand
|
2 |
n |
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
|
