gauntlet

Short definition from Wiktionary

Noun

1. 1
   Protective armor for the hands, formerly thrown down as a challenge to combat.
2. 2
   A long glove covering the wrist.
3. 3
   A rope on which hammocks or clothes are hung for drying.
4. 4
   An eruption of pellagra on the hands.
5. 5
   Two parallel rows of attackers who strike at a criminal as punishment.
6. 6
   A simultaneous attack from two or more sides.
7. 7
   Any challenging, difficult, or painful ordeal, often one performed for atonement or punishment.
8. 8
   Overlapping parallel rail tracks; either to allowing passage through a narrow opening in each direction without switching, or to allow vehicles of a larger gauge to pass through a station without hitting the platforms.