Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: CLOTHES

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'

gauntlet

 noun
     
gaunt‧let
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]DCC a long glove that covers someone's wrist and protects their hand, for example in a factory
5 [countable]PMAH a glove covered in metal, used for protection by soldiers in the past
Definition of gauntlet from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
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