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Gauntlet is a name for several different styles of Glove . In general, a gauntlet covers the Wrist , the Hand , Finger s and Forearm s. Gauntlets exist in many forms ranging from flexible Fabric and Leather gloves, to Chainmail and fully-articulated Plate Armour . TYPES OF GAUNTLET Military Historically, gauntlets were an important piece of Armour , since the hands and arms were particularly vulnerable in hand-to-hand combat. With the rise of easily-reloadable Firearm s, hand-to-hand combat became less common and so gauntlets lost most of their strategic value. Kote is a general term for a gauntlets, which can be made of cotton, metal, bamboo or any other material. It is more commonly used to refer to Kendo protective gauntlets. Sport, industry and science Today, gauntlets are mostly used in contact Sport s, such as Fencing . Protective gauntlets are also sometimes worn when defusing a Bomb and by Butcher s. Furthermore, they are an integral part of Pressure Suit s and Spacesuits , usually made of Kevlar or other materials that combine toughness, environmental protection and flexibility. Gauntlets are also provided on some motorcyclist's leather gloves and on snowmobile driver's nylon mittens. Drum Corps & Marching Band Although called gauntlets, the wrist coverings used in marching band and drum corps uniforms are technically bracers or vambraces. Fashion The word gauntlet is also used by some manufacturers in the Clothing Industry to describe a special type of fingerless glove with one large opening rather than individual openings for each finger. Religious In the Roman Catholic Church the gloves worn by the Pope or other Bishop s are also known as gauntlets, though their use had largely been relaxed since Paul VI . IDIOMS Run the gauntlet The concept of " Running The Gauntlet " is often use as a metaphor for some sort of arduous trial such as a Hazing ritual. Contrary to what some might expect, the phrase is ''not'' a reference to wearing a gauntlet; according to Brewer's Phrase and Fable, {Link without Title} "gauntlet" in this sense is a: : "''corruption of gantlope, the passage between two files of soldiers. (German, ganglaufen or gassenlaufen.) The reference is to a punishment common among sailors. If a companion had disgraced himself, the crew, provided with gauntlets or ropes' ends, were drawn up in two rows facing each other, and the delinquent had to run between them, while every man dealt him, in passing, as severe a chastisement as he could.''" Throwing down the gauntlet This is an idiom which means to publicly lay down or declare a challenge. |
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