1.
[syn: tournament, tourney]
2. a series of jousts between knights contesting for a prize;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Tournament \Tour"na*ment\, n. [OE. turnement, tornement, OF.
torneiement, tornoiement, F. tournoiement a turning or
wheeling round. See Tourney.]
1. A mock fight, or warlike game, formerly in great favor, in
which a number of combatants were engaged, as an
exhibition of their address and bravery; hence,
figuratively, a real battle. "In battle and in
tourneyment." --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
With cruel tournament the squadrons join. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Note: It different from the joust, which was a trial of skill
between one man and another.
[1913 Webster]
2. Any contest of skill in which there are many contestents
for championship; as, a chess tournament.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
tournament
n 1: a sporting competition in which contestants play a series
of games to decide the winner [syn: tournament,
tourney]
2: a series of jousts between knights contesting for a prize
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
33 Moby Thesaurus words for "tournament":
Highland games, Olympiad, Olympic games, Olympics, bout, carousel,
competition, concours, contest, derby, encounter, engagement,
event, field day, fight, game, games, go, gymkhana, joust, match,
matching, meet, meeting, rally, regatta, rencontre, test,
the Olympics, tilt, tourney, track meet, trial