A protective glove that extends above the wrist, traditionally made of metal as part of a suit of armour, but now also of leather or other materials for industrial or sporting protection.

Welders wear heavy leather gauntlets to shield their arms from sparks.

A form of punishment in which a person is forced to run between two rows of people who strike at them as they pass.

The prisoner was made to run the gauntlet as a form of public humiliation.

A challenging or dangerous situation that must be endured or overcome.

The new recruit had to run the gauntlet of rigorous training exercises.

An open challenge, invitation, or defiant provocation, especially one issued dramatically (often in the phrase “throw down the gauntlet”).

Environmental activists have thrown down the gauntlet to corporations, demanding concrete action on climate change.