duel en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈdul/ (General-American)
- d(y)o͞oʹəl (General-American)
- /ˈˈd͡ʒuːəl/ yod-coalescence
- /ˈd(j)u.əl/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- (UK) audio
- /ˈdjuːəl/ non-yod-coalescence
Etymology
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.
Meanings
-
Arranged, regular combat between two private persons, often over a matter of honor.
After Rep. William Graves of Kentucky killed Rep. John Cilley of Maine in a duel in 1838, Congress imposed a prohibition on pistol duels in the District of Columbia.
2017 June 14, Julian Zelizer, “The challenge of protecting members of Congress”, in CNN, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2017:Of course, not all the Railway Members were men of such talent. One member was "chiefly eminent as a whist player," and another was known for his duel with a fellow M.P. fought at Wormwood Scrubs in 1840.
1960 March 14, N. Caplan, “The Railway Member of Parliament”, in Railway Magazine, page 209:It has been 200 years, minus a few days, since Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel here. Weehawken and the duel have been tied together in an often-uncomfortable knot ever since.
2004 July 5, Jason George, “A Duel Evokes Dueling Emotions Over a Unique Place in History”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 05 Nov 2018:I have often thought since, how different my fate might have been, had I not fallen in love with Nora at that early age; and had I not flung the wine in Quin’s face, and so brought on the duel.
1844 January–December, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, “In Which I Show Myself to Be a Man of Spirit”, in “The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. [The Luck of Barry Lyndon.]”, in Miscellanies: Prose and Verse, volume III, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1856, →OCLC, page 36:
- Historically, the wager of battle (judicial combat).
-
(broadly) Any battle or struggle between two contending persons, forces, groups, or ideas.
But it leaves them with a few destroyers, the American destroyer force is falling back, and then you have the two cruiser lines with their respective battleships coming in for the big duel.
2019 March 6, Drachinifel, 25:33 from the start, in The Battle of Samar (Alternate History) - Bring on the Battleships!, archived from the original on 20 Jul 2022:a sniper duel
Apple comes out swinging in the duel of the data titans [title]
2021 May 1, John Naughton, “Apple comes out swinging in the duel of the data titans”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 21 Oct 2021:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| duels | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Translations (92)
ka დუელი (combat between two persons) · it singolar tenzone (combat between two persons) · it duello (struggle between two parties) · de Zweikampf (combat between two persons) · ja デュエル (combat between two persons) · bg дуе́л (combat between two persons) · nn duell (struggle between two parties) · hu párbaj (struggle between two parties) · mk двобој (combat between two persons) · de Duell (struggle between two parties) · sv tvekamp (combat between two persons) · no tvekamp (combat between two persons) · sk súboj (combat between two persons) · sv duell (combat between two persons) · el διαμάχη (struggle between two parties) · nb duell (struggle between two parties) · es duelo (struggle between two parties) · hy մենամարտ (combat between two persons) · gl duelo (combat between two persons) · grc μονομαχία (combat between two persons) · ru поеди́нок (combat between two persons) · fi kaksintaistelu (combat between two persons) · ar مُبَارَزَة (combat between two persons) · pl pojedynek (struggle between two parties) · cmn 決鬥 /决斗 (combat between two persons) · ru дуэ́ль (combat between two persons) · it duello (combat between two persons) · ko 결투 (combat between two persons) · ang ānwīġ (combat between two persons) · fr duel (combat between two persons) · ru двобой (combat between two persons) · nl duel (struggle between two parties) · ru поеди́нок (struggle between two parties) · pt duelo (struggle between two parties) · hi द्वंद्वयुद्ध (struggle between two parties) · be дуэ́ль (combat between two persons) · nl duel (combat between two persons) · cy gornest (combat between two persons) · el μονομαχία (combat between two persons) · sl dvoboj (struggle between two parties) · cs duel (combat between two persons) · tr düello (struggle between two parties) · la duellum (combat between two persons) · mk двобој (struggle between two parties) · sh dvòboj (combat between two persons) · tl akip (combat between two persons) · cs souboj (combat between two persons) · fi kaksinkamppailu (struggle between two parties) · eo duelo (struggle between two parties) · de Duell (combat between two persons) · ca duel (struggle between two parties) · pl pojedynek (combat between two persons) · ca duel (combat between two persons) · sv duell (struggle between two parties) · de Zweikampf (struggle between two parties) · kk жекпе-жек (combat between two persons) · sv tvekamp (struggle between two parties) · ru единобо́рство (struggle between two parties) · es duelo (combat between two persons) · bg двубо́й (struggle between two parties) · bg двубо́й (combat between two persons) · sh дво̀бој (combat between two persons) · fr duel (struggle between two parties) · ga comhrac aonair (combat between two persons) · da tvekamp (struggle between two parties) · cs souboj (struggle between two parties) · da duel (combat between two persons) · be паяды́нак (struggle between two parties) · he דּוּ קְרָב (combat between two persons) · sk súboj (struggle between two parties) · sk duel (combat between two persons) · hi द्वंद्वयुद्ध (combat between two persons) · nl tweegevecht (combat between two persons) · da duel (struggle between two parties) · sl dvoboj (combat between two persons) · eo duelo (combat between two persons) · vi đấu tay đôi (combat between two persons) · uk двобі́й (combat between two persons) · tl akip (struggle between two parties) · ja 決闘 (combat between two persons) · nl tweekamp (struggle between two parties) · nn duell (combat between two persons) · hu párbaj (combat between two persons) · fa دوئل (combat between two persons) · da tvekamp (combat between two persons) · pt duelo (combat between two persons) · vi quyết đấu (combat between two persons) · nb duell (combat between two persons) · uk дуе́ль (combat between two persons) · is einvígi (combat between two persons) · uk поєди́нок (struggle between two parties) · tr düello (combat between two persons)