gladiator
/ˈɡlædiˌeɪ̯tə/ noun, verb
Forms gladiators gladiatoring gladiatored gladiatour
- noun (Ancient Rome) A person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal.
- noun (by extension) A disputant in a public controversy or debate.
- noun A professional boxer.
- noun Synonym of heelwalker (“Any of the order Mantophasmatodea of carnivorous, wingless insects that superficially resemble a cross between praying mantises and phasmids.”).
- verb To fight as entertainment for others.
- verb To compete in a public contest.
- verb To debate or argue.
- verb To act aggressively toward others.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin gladiātor, from gladius (“sword”). See also English gladius.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Originally, a swordplayer; hence, one who fought with weapons in public, either on the occasion of a funeral ceremony, or in the arena, for public amusement.
- noun One who engages in any fierce combat or controversy.
Etymology [L., fr. gladius sword. See Glaive.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “gladiator”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details