DUEL (duelled, duelling)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: duelled    , duelling   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does duel mean? 

• DUEL (noun)
  The noun DUEL has 2 senses:

1. a prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor

2. any struggle between two skillful opponents (individuals or groups)

  Familiarity information: DUEL used as a noun is rare.

• DUEL (verb)
  The verb DUEL has 1 sense:

1. fight a duel, as over one's honor or a woman

  Familiarity information: DUEL used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DUEL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

affaire d'honneur; duel

Hypernyms ("duel" is a kind of...):

combat; fight; fighting; scrap (the act of fighting; any contest or struggle)

Derivation:

duel (fight a duel, as over one's honor or a woman)

duelist; duellist (a person who fights duels)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any struggle between two skillful opponents (individuals or groups)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("duel" is a kind of...):

battle; struggle (an energetic attempt to achieve something)

Derivation:

duelist; duellist (a person who fights duels)

• DUEL (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they duel    ... he / she / it duels   
Past simple: dueled    / duelled   
Past participle: dueled    / duelled   
-ing form: dueling    / duelling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fight a duel, as over one's honor or a woman

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

In the 19th century, men often dueled over small matters

Hypernyms (to "duel" is one way to...):

contend; fight; struggle (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

duel (a prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor)

dueler; duelist; dueller (a person who fights duels)

 Context examples 

Well, sir, I wore it at the duel, like the thoughtless fool that I was.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The influence of Hop on the opposing processes of cardiomyocyte differentiation and proliferation reflect the interaction of Hop with SRF and the duel role SRF plays.

(HOP Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

It has been a duel between you and me, Mr. Holmes.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Between ourselves, Watson, it’s a sporting duel between this fellow Milverton and me.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When he was gone, they were certain at least of receiving constant information of what was going on, and their uncle promised, at parting, to prevail on Mr. Bennet to return to Longbourn, as soon as he could, to the great consolation of his sister, who considered it as the only security for her husband's not being killed in a duel.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

By the time the lecture ended and the audience awoke, she had built up a splendid fortune for herself (not the first founded on paper), and was already deep in the concoction of her story, being unable to decide whether the duel should come before the elopement or after the murder.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Thank you, I have my duelling pistols under the seat.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“But the duel, Tregellis!” cried the Prince.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We all have our own feelings, Sir Charles; and you will permit me to say that a serving-man may resent an injury as much as a gentleman, though the redress of the duel is denied to him.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)