Gauntlet

A gauntlet is a hand covering that covers the wrists and the lower part of the forearm.

How they are made

The gauntlet is usually made from a fabric.

Other meanings

The word "gauntlet" is sometimes used in the following figure of speech: "to throw down the gauntlet." If a person says that "Fred threw down the gauntlet at the committee meeting last night", they mean that Fred issued a public challenge at the committee meeting.

Another figure of speech is the phrase "run the gauntlet." This means to "face a trial or test." For example, if a sailor commits an offense, his comrades may form a line, and each comrade will hit the sailor as he passes by the line. This is called "running the gauntlet."