to throw down the gauntlet
Preserved but no longer current.
To challenge. The custom in the Middle Ages, when one knight challenged another, was for the chal- lenger to throw his gauntlet on the ground, and if the challenge was accepted the person to whom it was thrown picked it up.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to throw down the gauntlet” mean?
To challenge. The custom in the Middle Ages, when one knight challenged another, was for the chal- lenger to throw his gauntlet on the ground, and if the challenge was accepted the person to whom it was thrown picked it up.
Is “to throw down the gauntlet” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.