joust

[joust, juhst, joost]

noun

1. a combat in which two knights on horseback attempted to unhorse each other with blunted lances.

2. this type of combat fought in a highly formalized manner as part of a tournament.

3. jousts, a tournament.

4. a personal competition or struggle.

verb (used without object)

1. to contend in a joust or tournament.

2. to contend, compete, or struggle.

   The candidates will joust in a television debate.

joust

/ dʒaʊst /

noun

1. a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with lances. A tournament consisted of a series of such engagements

verb

1. (intr; often foll by against or with) to encounter or engage in such a tournament

   he jousted with five opponents

Other Word Forms

• jouster noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of joust¹

1250–1300; (v.) Middle English justen, jousten < Old French juster, joster, jouster to tilt in the lists < Vulgar Latin *juxtāre to approach, clash, derivative of Latin juxtā approaching, bordering; (noun) Middle English juste, jouste < Old French juste, etc., derivative of juster

Word History and Origins

Origin of joust¹

C13: from Old French jouste, from jouster to fight on horseback, from Vulgar Latin juxtāre (unattested) to come together, from Latin juxtā close

Example Sentences

Verbal jousting on British and Irish Lions tours is as much a part of the deal as the rugby itself - and the mind games started anew in recent days.

From BBC

But this food aid appears to have become be another chess piece in the joust between California and the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure state and local officials to follow its edicts.

From Los Angeles Times

I groaned to see a giant fork and spoon mounted on the kitchen wall of one of Marvin’s for-sale properties, then smiled when the silverware got ripped down and repurposed as jousting weapons.

From Los Angeles Times

I had the delight to be brought in to kind of decorate, to play around — to almost tease her up into the jousting arena.

From Los Angeles Times

History shows they’ve acted as statesmen in times of crisis before and temporarily paused their jousts on social media and in the courts.

From Los Angeles Times