duel
duel Lexical Profile
duel Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any fierce contest, struggle, or competition for superiority between two opposing rivals, ideas, or forces.
"The championship match turned into a thrilling tactical duel between the two grandmasters."
A prearranged combat between two individuals, fought with deadly weapons according to an accepted code of procedure to settle a point of honor.
"In nineteenth-century literature, characters frequently resolved personal insults through a formal duel at dawn."
• verb
To engage in a formal prearranged combat or a closely matched struggle with an opponent.
"The two cyclists dueled for the lead throughout the final mountain stage of the race."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'duel' (a contest or fight between two parties) with its homophone 'dual' (an adjective meaning consisting of two parts).
• Rhymes for duel
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from French or Italian duello, from Medieval Latin duellum ('combat between two'), which was an archaic Latin form of bellum ('war') reinterpreted by folk etymology as being derived from duo ('two').