gauntlet

noun

1. Protective armor for the hands, formerly thrown down as a challenge to combat.
2. A long glove covering the wrist.

   “The hawk no longer darts forth from the gauntlet to soar through the air for his prey.”

   “Solventproof rubber gauntlets under solventproof sleeves closed at the wrists should be worn.”

3. A rope on which hammocks or clothes are hung for drying.
4. An eruption of pellagra on the hands.
5. (archaic)Two parallel rows of attackers who strike at a criminal as punishment.
6. A simultaneous attack from two or more sides.
7. (figuratively)Any challenging, difficult, or painful ordeal, often one performed for atonement or punishment.

   “[John] Winthrop ran the gantlet of daily slights from his neighbors.”

8. A fight against swarms of relatively minor enemies in the form of multiple waves, often but not always preceding a boss.
9. Overlapping parallel rail tracks; either to allowing passage through a narrow opening in each direction without switching, or to allow vehicles of a larger gauge to pass through a station without hitting the platforms.