GAUNTLET
/ˈɡɔːnt.lət/Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2025
Meaning
Protective armor for the hands, formerly thrown down as a challenge to combat.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English
From Middle English gauntelett, gantlett, a borrowing from Old French gantelet (“gauntlet worn by a knight in armor, a token of one's personality or person, and symbolizing a challenge”), diminutive of gant (“glove”), a borrowing from Frankish *want (“glove; mitten”) and reinforced by Medieval Latin wantus (“glove”) itself borrowed from the former, from Proto-Germanic *wantuz (“glove; mitten”). Cognate with Dutch want (“mitten; shroud”), German Low German Want (“shroud”), Danish vante (“mitten”), Swedish vante (“glove; mitten”), Faroese vøttur (“glove; mitten”).
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle, including a pangram: