duelist
duelist Lexical Profile
duelist Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A person who engages in a duel, especially a formal prearranged combat between two individuals using matched weapons.
"In nineteenth-century literature, the young nobleman was portrayed as a reluctant duelist defending his family's reputation."
American A competitor locked in a close, head-to-head contest or rivalry with another individual in sports, games, or debate.
"The two chess grandmasters sat across the board like seasoned duelists preparing for a decisive match."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'duelist' (a participant in a two-person combat or contest) with its homophone 'dualist' (an adherent of the philosophical or religious doctrine of dualism). In British English, the word is typically spelled with a double 'l' as 'duellist'.
• Rhymes for duelist
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the early 17th century from 'duel' (from Medieval Latin 'duellum', meaning 'war' or 'combat between two') plus the agent suffix '-ist'.