bare-knuckle
adjective or adverb
bare-knuck·le
| \ ˈber-ˈnə-kəl
\
\
variants:
or less commonly bare-knuckled \
ˈber-ˈnə-kəld
\
or bare-knuckles \
ˈber-ˈnə-kəlz
\
\
or bare-knuckles \
ˈber-ˈnə-kəlz
\
Definition of bare-knuckle
1
: not using boxing gloves
champion bare-knuckle prizefighter of England— Dennis Craig when men fought bare-knuckle
2
: having a fierce unrelenting character
bare-knuckle politics
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
6 Words from the Boxing Ring
6 Words from the Boxing Ring
Their meanings have strayed from the ring.
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Cite this Entry
“Bare-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare-knuckle. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.
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More Definitions for bare-knuckle
bare-knuckle
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of bare-knuckle
: without boxing gloves
See the full definition for bare-knuckle in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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Time Traveler for bare-knuckle
The first known use of bare-knuckle was in 1882
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