joust
/dʒaʊst
/verb [no object]
1 (often as noun jousting) historical (Of a medieval knight) engage in a sporting contest in which two opponents on horseback fight with lances: to joust, a man must have an opponent to ride against (as noun jousting) jousting goes back to medieval days...
- The two of them flew towards each other at breakneck speeds, like knights jousting.
- We do all the medieval arts like jousting and sparring, things of that nature.
- There is a medieval theme and entertainment including knights, jousting and brass bands.
Synonyms
enter the lists, tourney, tilt, break a lance;
fight, spar, contend, clash
2Compete closely for superiority: the guerrillas jousted for supremacy...
- Last season on Sunday, that afternoon's stories jousted for the public's attention with that afternoon's draw.
noun
A medieval sporting contest in which two opponents on horseback fought with lances: the king and the young knights at court passed their time in jousts, tournaments, and the chase...
- It speaks of jousts, tournaments, wizards, falconry, enchantresses, damsels in distress, wars, quests, and the code of chivalry.
- Along with their other accessories, the warriors' elaborate dress suggests that they brought both wealth and pageantry to combat, which Donnan likens to medieval jousts.
- Anne was once more pregnant but at the end of the month, alarmed by news of Henry's heavy fall at a joust, she gave premature birth to a dead son.
Synonyms
tournament, tourney, tilt, the lists;
combat, contest, fight, encounter, duel, passage of arms
Derivatives
jouster
- Adam gave his best angry glare at the jouster and they retreated.
- The transaction generated six pieces of paper, each as long as a jouster's lance.
- The practice arena was for the jousters and swordsmen.
Origin
Middle English (originally in the sense 'join battle, engage'): from Old French jouster 'bring together', based on Latin juxta 'near'.
adjust from early 17th century:
The notion of ‘bringing in close proximity’ is present in adjust. The source was the obsolete French verb adjuster, from Old French ajoster ‘to approximate’, based on Latin ad- ‘to’ and juxta ‘near’, source of words such as joust (Middle English) originally to ‘bring near to join battle’ and juxtapose (mid 19th century) ‘place near’.