gladiator

plural gladiators · alternative obsolete gladiatour

1. Ancient RomeA person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal.

   My mother prepared herself for the evening with the same somber deliberateness of the gladiators in Spartacus.

   2002, Dirk Wittenborn, Fierce People

   1 more example

   And it's because something of the mundanely manual still adheres to darts that the players' heroic walk of honour from the green room to the oche is so incongruous. The fanfare begins, the strobes go wild, the crowds roar, hostesses wearing the sort of tinsel dresses that drove me crazy when I was eighteen escort the gladiator into the arena, only he's not a gladiator, he's a plumber.

   2017, Howard Jacobson, “The Wages of Indulgence is Darts”, in The Dog’s Last Walk (and Other Pieces), London; New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN

2. broadlyA disputant in a public controversy or debate.
3. A professional boxer.
4. Synonym of heelwalker (“Any of the order Mantophasmatodea of carnivorous, wingless insects that superficially resemble a cross between praying mantises and phasmids.”).

   Synonyms: heelwalker

present singular third person gladiators · participle present gladiatoring · participle past gladiatored · past gladiatored · alternative obsolete gladiatour

1. To fight as entertainment for others.

   The guards made me fight other prisoners for their own amusement. It was called gladiatoring.

   2013 December 4, “What it's like to spend 20 years on death row”, in The Telegraph

   1 more example

   When the dance was done there was the cock-fight, or rather a century of cock-fights, to be reckoned with. For two hundred of these luckless creatures 'gladiatored' bravely, while an appreciative audience held matting up to its chin to keep from being bespattered with blood.

   1915, The Atlantic Monthly - Volume 116, page 642

2. To compete in a public contest.

   It's himself gladiatoring on the harmonium.

   2019, Ruth Park, A Fence Around the Cuckoo: Text Classics, page 256

   1 more example

   I played very well as was evidenced in that I was the only participant in the entire six or seven days of wind gladiatoring who received a standing ovation from the orchestra, no less.

   1994, Saxophone Journal - Volume 19, page 32

3. To debate or argue.

   Och! lave off your gladiatoring; sure it's took up I'd be if I did that!

   2010, John O'Mahony, R. L. Praeger, The Sunny Side of Ireland, page 71

   3 more examples

   He did his gladiatoring doubtless without malice, and from a purely sporting instinct — even as Mr. Punch gave the provocation.

   1895, Athol Mayhew, A Jorum of "Punch" with Those who Helped to Brew it

   Quoting the accounts in both Time and Newsweek, they note that though the "defense attorney may have outwitted, outsparred, and even "out gladiatored" (another popular image in the trial coverage) his opponent, but he still lost the case.

   1988, Bernard S. Jackson, Law, fact and narrative coherence, page 71

   It was all part of the gladiatoring: the true performer would argue each case to the utmost, like a debater or mooter in our own world.

   2005, John K. Hale, Milton's Cambridge Latin: Performing in the Genres, 1625-1632

4. To act aggressively toward others.

   Have I been gladiatoring about the place, boys? Did I squeeze the wizendy little fella a bit rough like?

   1981, Ruth Park, The Frost And The Fire, page 162

   2 more examples

   Why, thin, Mister Levi Slam, don't you think now that a volley poured into them haythen mosquitos beyant would put a stop to their gladiatoring a little?

   1863, The Boy's Yearly Book, page 212

   It's the Count von Eisenstein," says he, "that's come over to Eire for protection against the murdering English who are marauding and gladiatoring about Germany and would kill him if they could, but thanks be to God," says my bold McQuirk, "he'll be safe enough here and it'll be a good thing to have a friend of the Irish people living in Kilfenora Castle, though maybe you won't like it."

   1946, George A. Birmingham, The Piccadilly Lady, page 70