gladiator

noun

1. (Ancient-Rome)A person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal.

   “My mother prepared herself for the evening with the same somber deliberateness of the gladiators in Spartacus.”

   “And it's because something of the mundanely manual still adheres to darts that the players' heroic walk of honour from the green room to the oche is so incongruous. The fanfare begins, the strobes go wild, the crowds roar, hostesses wearing the sort of tinsel dresses that drove me crazy when I was eighteen escort the gladiator into the arena, only he's not a gladiator, he's a plumber.”

2. (broadly)A disputant in a public controversy or debate.
3. A professional boxer.
4. Synonym of heelwalker (“Any of the order Mantophasmatodea of carnivorous, wingless insects that superficially resemble a cross between praying mantises and phasmids.”).

verb

1. To fight as entertainment for others.

   “When the dance was done there was the cock-fight, or rather a century of cock-fights, to be reckoned with. For two hundred of these luckless creatures 'gladiatored' bravely, while an appreciative audience held matting up to its chin to keep from being bespattered with blood.”

   “The guards made me fight other prisoners for their own amusement. It was called gladiatoring.”

2. To compete in a public contest.

   “I played very well as was evidenced in that I was the only participant in the entire six or seven days of wind gladiatoring who received a standing ovation from the orchestra, no less.”

   “It's himself gladiatoring on the harmonium.”

3. To debate or argue.

   “He did his gladiatoring doubtless without malice, and from a purely sporting instinct — even as Mr. Punch gave the provocation.”

   “Quoting the accounts in both Time and Newsweek, they note that though the "defense attorney may have outwitted, outsparred, and even "out gladiatored" (another popular image in the trial coverage) his opponent, but he still lost the case.”

   “It was all part of the gladiatoring: the true performer would argue each case to the utmost, like a debater or mooter in our own world.”

   “Och! lave off your gladiatoring; sure it's took up I'd be if I did that!”

4. To act aggressively toward others.

   “Why, thin, Mister Levi Slam, don't you think now that a volley poured into them haythen mosquitos beyant would put a stop to their gladiatoring a little?”

   “It's the Count von Eisenstein," says he, "that's come over to Eire for protection against the murdering English who are marauding and gladiatoring about Germany and would kill him if they could, but thanks be to God," says my bold McQuirk, "he'll be safe enough here and it'll be a good thing to have a friend of the Irish people living in Kilfenora Castle, though maybe you won't like it."”

   “Have I been gladiatoring about the place, boys? Did I squeeze the wizendy little fella a bit rough like?”