/ ˈdjuːəl; NAmE ˈduːəl/ noun
1.
a formal fight with weapons between two people, used in the past to settle a disagreement, especially over a matter of honour :
to fight / win a duel
to challenge sb to a duel
2.
a competition or struggle between two people or groups :
a verbal duel
► duel verb ( -ll- , NAmE -l- ): [ v ]
The two men duelled to the death.
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent.: from Latin duellum , archaic and literary form of bellum war, used in medieval Latin with the meaning combat between two persons, partly influenced by dualis of two. The original sense was single combat used to decide a judicial dispute ; the sense contest to decide a point of honour dates from the early 17th cent.