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gauntlets

Apparel
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Protective gloves with a long, flared cuff extending over the forearm, made of leather or metal, worn by knights and falconers, symbolizing martial prowess and chivalric defense.

Detailed Definition
Gauntlets are the armored gloves of the medieval warrior, their overlapping steel plates protecting the hands and wrists in combat. In poetry, they appear in scenes of jousts, sieges, and hand-to-hand combat, often as part of a knight's full harness. The act of throwing down a gauntlet is a famous challenge to combat, and poets use this idiom to signal defiance or the beginning of a duel. Beyond armor, gauntlets are also worn by falconers and hunters, and their stout leather construction suggests a connection to the natural world of sport. In love poetry, a lady might wear delicate leather gauntlets for riding, their snug fit a point of romantic interest. Their protective function also lends them to metaphorical usage—the "gauntlet of life" or "running the gauntlet" of trials.
Example
Example in poetry:
"He threw down his gauntlet in challenge, the steel clattering on the stone"; "Her riding gauntlets were worn smooth by the reins of a hundred horses"; "The gauntlets' metal plates protected his hands but could not shield his heart"; "She pulled on her gauntlets and became a warrior in a silk gown"; "The gauntlets, lined with fur, were the only warmth in the frozen hall"; "He removed his gauntlets and revealed the scars of a life of combat"
Additional Notes
Gauntlets are the armored gloves of the medieval warrior, their overlapping steel plates protecting the hands and wrists in combat. In poetry, they appear in scenes of jousts, sieges, and hand-to-hand combat, often as part of a knight's full harness. The act of throwing down a gauntlet is a famous challenge to combat, and poets use this idiom to signal defiance or the beginning of a duel. Beyond armor, gauntlets are also worn by falconers and hunters, and their stout leather construction suggests a connection to the natural world of sport. In love poetry, a lady might wear delicate leather gauntlets for riding, their snug fit a point of romantic interest. Their protective function also lends them to metaphorical usage—the "gauntlet of life" or "running the gauntlet" of trials. Related terms include gloves, mitts, and vambraces. Students should note the gauntlet's association with both martial challenge and protection.
Also Known As
armored gloves knightly hand defenses steel mittens
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