mano a mano
See also: mano-a-mano
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish mano a mano (literally “hand-to-hand”); on equal footing, neither of two participants having any distinct advantage.
Noun
mano a mano
- A head-on conflict or direct competition; a duel.
- The public debate became a heated mano a mano between the two leading candidates.
Translations
A head-on conflict or direct competition; a duel
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Adjective
mano a mano (not comparable)
- In close confrontation.
- We sat tensely in the courtroom while the mano-a-mano struggle ensued between the two skilled lawyers.
- 2016 May 23, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “Apocalypse pits the strengths of the X-Men series against the weaknesses”, in The Onion AV Club:
- When he finally goes mano a mano with Xavier at the climax, it’s in a psychic battle staged inside the latter’s dreamspace, which happens to look exactly like his mansion
Adverb
mano a mano (not comparable)
- Characterized by head-to-head competition or conflict.
- The newcomer brashly engaged the veteran player mano a mano.
Portuguese
Etymology
- Directly borrowed from Spanish.
Spanish
Adjective
- hand to hand (competition), or sometimes hand in hand (cooperation); on equal terms, close together.
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