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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

Challenge

Chăl'lenge, n.

noun

n. [O. Fr. chalenge, chalange, chalonge, chaloigne, calenge, celonge, claim, accusation, contest, Pr. & O. Sp. calonja, It. calogna, from Lat. calumnia, false accusation, chicanery.]

Sense 1. An invitation to a contest of any kind. “A challenge to controversy.” Goldsmith.

Sense 2. The act of a sentry in questioning or demanding the countersign from those who appear at his post.

Sense 3. A calling upon one to engage in single combat; an invitation or summons, verbal or written, to decide a controversy by a duel.

Sense 4. A claim or demand made of a right or supposed right.

There must be no challenge of superiority. Collier.

Sense 5. (Hunting.) The opening and crying of hounds at first finding the scent of their game.

Sense 6. (Law.) An exception to jurors; the claim of a party that certain jurors shall not sit in trial upon him or his cause. Blackstone.

Sense 7. (Elections.) An exception to a person as not legally qualified to vote. [U. S.]

Challenge to the array, an exception to the whole panel.—Challenge to the favor, the alleging a special cause, the sufficiency of which is to be left to those whose duty and office it is to decide upon it.—Challenge to the polls, an exception taken to any one or more of the individual jurors returned.—Peremptory challenge, a privilege sometimes allowed to prisoners in certain criminal cases of high grade, of challenging a certain number of jurors (fixed by statute in different States) without assigning any cause.—Principal challenge, that which the law allows to be sufficient if found to be true.

Blackstone. Burrill.

Chāl'lenge, v. t.

verbtransitive

[imp. & p. p. CHALLENGED; p. pr. & vb. n. CHALLENGING.] [O. Fr. chalenger, chalengier, chalonger, chalongner, calenger, cullenger, calenge, to claim, accuse, dispute; Pr. & O. Sp. calonjar, It. calognare, Lat. calumniari, to attack with false accusations. See supra.]

  1. To call to a contest of any kind; to call to answer; to defy. “I challenge any man to make any pretence to power by right of fatherhood.” Locke.
  2. To call, invite, or summon to answer for an offense by personal combat.

By this I challenge him to single fight. Shak.

  1. To claim as due; to demand as a right. “Challenge better terms.” Addison.
  2. (Law.) To make exception or objection to, as to jurors summoned to act in a trial.
  3. (Elections.) To object to as not qualified to vote. [U. S.]
  4. To censure; to blame. [Obs.]

He complained of the emperors whom he had served, and challenged them for that he had no greater revenues . . . from them. Holland.