duelist
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🇺🇸
/ˈduːəlɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˈdjuːəlɪst/
person who fights a duel
Etymology
'duelist' is formed from the noun 'duel' plus the agent suffix '-ist'. 'Duel' entered English from Old French 'duel' (from Medieval Latin 'duellum'), and the suffix '-ist' comes from Latin '-ista' via French, used to form nouns meaning 'one who practices or is concerned with'.
'duel' derives from Latin 'duellum' (an early form related to 'bellum' meaning 'war'), which passed into Old French as 'duel' and then into Middle English as 'duel'; adding the agentive suffix '-ist' in modern English produced 'duelist'.
Initially related to 'war' or combat in general (from Latin roots), the term 'duel' narrowed to mean a formal single combat between two people; consequently 'duelist' came to mean specifically 'one who takes part in a duel'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who fights a formal combat (a duel) with another person, typically according to agreed rules.
The historic painting shows a famous duelist preparing for his match at dawn.
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Noun 2
a person who engages in head-to-head competitive contests (often used for players of duel-style games, e.g., card duels).
As a skilled duelist in the card game community, she won several regional tournaments.
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Last updated: 2025/10/09 11:58