- in or into direct, personal confrontation
- a duel or other confrontation between two individuals
Origin of mano a mano
Sp, literally , hand to handmano a mano
ma·no a ma·no
noun
- An example of mano a mano is when two people have a fist fight and engage in hand-to-hand combat.
- An example of mano a mano is when two matadors take turns fighting bulls in the bullfight.
The definition of mano a mano is a Spanish expression that is defined as hand to hand and is used to refer to a face-to-face confrontation between two people.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"mano a mano." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/mano-a-mano>.
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mano a mano. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/mano-a-mano
mano a mano
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"mano a mano." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/mano-a-mano>.
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mano a mano. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/mano-a-mano
mano a mano
noun
pl. ma·nos a ma·nos,- A bullfight in which two rival matadors take turns fighting several bulls each.
- A face-to-face confrontation or competitive struggle: a mano a mano between the presidential candidates.
adjective
Being or suggestive of a face-to-face encounter or contest: a mano a mano duel between golf pros.
adverb
In direct competition: an industry gearing up to go mano a mano with a rival.
Origin of mano a mano
Spanish mano hand a toTHE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"mano a mano." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/mano-a-mano>.
APA Style
mano a mano. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/mano-a-mano
Noun
- A head-on conflict or direct competition; a duel.
- The other candidates seemed to disappear as the public debate became a heated mano-a-mano between the two leading candidates.
Adjective
(not comparable)
- In close confrontation.
- We sat tensely in the courtroom while the mano-a-mano struggle ensued between the two skilled lawyers.
Adverb
(not comparable)
- Characterized by head-to-head competition or conflict.
- The newcomer brashly engaged the veteran player mano-a-mano.
Usage notes
- This phrase is commonly misunderstood by English speakers who think that the term means “man to man", though in use this meaning would still be similar.
Origin
Spanish, literally hand to hand; on equal footing, neither of two participants having any distinct advantage.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"mano a mano." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 06 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/mano-a-mano>.
APA Style
mano a mano. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/mano-a-mano
Also Mentioned In
Words near mano a mano in the dictionary
- mano a mano
- mano-destra
- mano-sinistra
- manoah