gauntlet
A gauntlet is a type of glove that's often worn for protection when doing heavy work or playing sports.
Imagine watching a medieval jousting tournament - knights would wear special gloves called gauntlets to protect their hands from the impact of hitting each other with lances. Nowadays, we still use the word "gauntlet" for something else: a challenge or test that's hard to overcome. If you're put through a gauntlet at work, it means you have to deal with many difficult tasks one after another. The word comes from an old habit of throwing down or tossing a glove as a challenge - when someone picked it up and ran the gauntlet, they had to face whatever was being thrown at them.
How common is "gauntlet"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
Protective armor for the hands, formerly thrown down as a challenge to combat.
Real examples of "gauntlet" in context
