gant-lope

, or gauntlope

(commonly pronounced gantlet). A race which a criminal was sentenced to run, in the navy or army, for any heinous offence. The ship's crew, or a certain division of soldiers, were disposed in two rows face to face, each provided with a knotted cord, or knittle, with which they severely struck the delinquent as he ran between them, stripped down to the waist. This was repeated according to the sentence, but seldom beyond three times, and constituted "running the gauntlet."

The Sailor's Word-Book

← gauntlope × gantril →

Related Words

gant
slim, slender. C. ...

A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
Lope
·noun A leap; a long step. II. Lope ·Impf of <<Leap>>. III. Lope ·vi To move with a lope, as a hor...

Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
to lope
To leap, to run away. He loped down the dancers; he ran down stairs. ...

Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
lope
n. a slow and steady gallop. From Dutchverb loopen, to leap, to run. The word is Americanrather tha...

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
lope
1) A leap; a long step.--Webster. A sulky ox refuses to move in the proper direction; off starts a ...

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
lope
leap'd, the perfect tense of leap. N. ...

A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
gant-line
Synonymous with girt-line (which see). ...

The Sailor's Word-Book
hammock gant-lines
Lines extended from the jib-boom end around the ship, triced up to the lower yard-arms, for drying s...

The Sailor's Word-Book