n.
chiefly historical a prearranged contest with deadly weapons between two people to settle a point of honour.
▸(in modern use) a contest between two parties.
v.
(duels, duelling, duelled; US duels, dueling, dueled)
fight a duel.
Derivative
- dueller
(US dueler)
n.
- duellist
(US duelist)
n.
Etymology
C15: from L. duellum, archaic and literary form of bellum ‘war’, used in med. L. with the meaning ‘combat between two persons’, influenced by dualis ‘of two’.
