wager of battle

noun

The giving of gage, or pledge, for trying a cause by single combat, formerly allowed in military, criminal, and civil causes, and finally abolished in 1819. In writs of right, where the trial was by champions, the tenant produced his champion, who, by throwing down his glove as a gage, thus "waged", or stipulated, battle with the champion of the demandant, who, by taking up the glove, accepted the challenge.

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Meanings

nounwager of battle (plural wagers of battle)

plural wagers of battle · alternative wager of battel

  1. UKhistoricallawThe giving of gage, or pledge, for trying a cause by single combat, formerly allowed in military, criminal, and civil causes, and finally abolished in 1819. In writs of right, where the trial was by champions, the tenant produced his champion, who, by throwing down his glove as a gage, thus "waged", or stipulated, battle with the champion of the demandant, who, by taking up the glove, accepted the challenge.
Cite this entry
APA

wager of battle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wager%20of%20battle

MLA

“wager of battle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wager%20of%20battle. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wager of battle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wager%20of%20battle.

Source: wager of battle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.