n. & v.
n. 1 a person competing with another for the same objective. 2 a person or thing that equals another in quality. 3 (attrib.) being a rival or rivals (a rival firm).
v.tr. (rivalled, rivalling; US rivaled, rivaling) 1 be the rival of or comparable to. 2 seem or claim to be as good as.
[ L rivalis, orig. = using the same stream, f. rivus stream ]