duel

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A formal fight between two people with weapons, arranged to settle a matter of honor.

   The two men fought a duel at dawn with pistols.

2. 2
   noun

   A contest or struggle between two strong opponents.

   The match turned into a tense duel between the two best players.

3. 3
   verb

   To fight a duel, or to compete fiercely with someone.

   In the past, men often dueled over small insults.

From Medieval Latin duellum (“fight between two men, duel”), itself from Old Latin duellum (“war, fight”), which survived in Classical Latin as a rare byform of bellum and was later reinterpreted as “duel” by unetymological association with duo (“two”). May have entered English through Middle French duel.

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