gantlet

¹

[ gant-lit, gawnt- ]

noun

1. Railroads. a track construction used in narrow places, in which two parallel tracks converge so that their inner rails cross, run parallel, and diverge again, thus allowing a train to remain on its own track at all times.
2. gauntlet ²( defs 1, 2, 4 ).

verb (used with object)

1. Railroads. to form or lay down as a gantlet:

   to gantlet tracks.

gantlet

²

[ gant-lit, gawnt- ]

noun

1. gauntlet ¹.

gantlet

¹

/ ˈɡɔːnt-; ˈɡæntlɪt /

noun

1. a variant of gauntlet 1

gantlet

²

/ ˈɡæntlɪt; ˈɡɔːnt- /

noun

1. a section of a railway where two tracks overlap
2. a variant spelling of gauntlet 2

Other Words From

• gantlet·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gantlet¹

First recorded in 1900–05; variant of gantlope

Word History and Origins

Origin of gantlet¹

C17 gantlope (modern spelling influenced by gauntlet ¹), from Swedish gatlopp, literally: passageway, from gata way (related to gate ³) + lop course

Example Sentences

Driving down my quiet street in Laguna Beach felt more like running a gantlet than coming home.

From Los Angeles Times

Perhaps you’re making the neighborhood kids work for their treats by having them run a gantlet of shrieks, fog and strobe lights to get to the bowl of candy.

From Los Angeles Times

Companies have been accused of signing people up for subscriptions without their consent, renewing their subscriptions without notice, and imposing a gantlet of obstacles to anyone seeking to unsubscribe.

From Los Angeles Times

The first “Rebel Moon,” released on Netflix in December, made audiences endure a gantlet of narrative groundwork that’s fairly inessential and recapped here.

From New York Times

It faces a gantlet of pipes and concrete tunnels ahead, the legacy of human development over once-pristine habitat.

From Seattle Times