gladiator
pronunciation
How to pronounce gladiator in British English:
UK [ˈglædieɪtə(r)]
How to pronounce gladiator in American English:
US [ˈɡlædiˌetɚ]
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- Noun:
- (ancient Rome) a professional combatant or a captive who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat
- a professional boxer
Word Origin
- gladiator
- gladiator: [16] The main Latin word for ‘sword’ was gladius. It was probably borrowed from a Celtic word, in which case its relatives would include Irish claideb, Welsh cleddyf, and Scots Gaelic claidheamh (which with the addition of mór ‘great’ produced English claymore [18]). Among its derivatives were gladiātor, literally ‘swordsman’, and gladiolus, literally ‘little sword’, acquired by English in the 16th century.=> claymore, gladiolus
- gladiator (n.)
- mid-15c., "Roman swordsman," from Latin gladiator (fem. gladiatrix) "fighter in the public games; swordsman," from gladius "sword" (there is no verb *gladiare), which probably is from Gaulish (compare Welsh cleddyf, Cornish clethe, Breton kleze "sword;" see claymore). Old Irish claideb is from Welsh. The close connection with Celtic words for 'sword', together with the imperfect match of initial consonants, and the semantic field of weaponry, suggests that Latin borrowed a form *gladio- or *kladio- (a hypothetical variant of attested British Celtic *kladimo- 'sword') from [Proto-Celtic] or from a third language. [de Vaan]
Synonym
Example
- 1. If you 're very tall and slim , go for gladiator sandals .
- 2. I wanted to write an anti-war film and use the gladiator as a raging war machine .
- 3. He was then arrested of alleged theft and sold as a gladiator due to his great strength and bravery .
- 4. The lead coffin archaeologists found in the abandoned ancient city of gabii , italy could contain a gladiator or bishop .
- 5. Born in thrace in 109 bc , he is known as a famous gladiator and started a revolt against rome during the gladiatorial war .