mano a mano
[ Spanish mah-naw ah mah-naw; English mah-noh uh mah-noh ]
/ Spanish ˈmɑ nɔ ɑ ˈmɑ nɔ; English ˈmɑ noʊ ə ˈmɑ noʊ /
noun, plural ma·nos a ma·nos [Spanish mah-naws ah mah-naws; English mah-noh uh mah-nohz, mah-nohz uh mah-nohz] /Spanish ˈmɑ nɔs ɑ ˈmɑ nɔs; English ˈmɑ noʊ ə ˈmɑ noʊz, ˈmɑ noʊz ə ˈmɑ noʊz/ for 1, 2.
(italics) Spanish.
a corrida in which two matadors alternate in fighting two or three bulls each.
a direct confrontation or conflict; head-on competition; duel.
adjective
being or resembling such a confrontation: a mano a mano struggle in the courtroom between two superb criminal lawyers.
adverb
in direct competition or rivalry: a brash newcomer in tennis taking on the reigning champion mano a mano.
Origin of mano a mano
< Spanish: on an equal footing, without advantage (to either of two contestants); literally, hand to hand
Words nearby mano a mano
mannitol hexanitrate,
mannose,
mannosidosis,
manny,
mano,
mano a mano,
mano nera, la,
manoah,
manoao,
manoeuvre,
manolete
Example sentences from the Web for mano a mano
CNN wants emotions, theatrics, the stamping of feet, mano-a-mano anger, and outrage contests.
“These mano-a-mano things always appeal to sports fans,” says Don Ohlmeyer, the former president of NBC Sports.