Chal"lenge (?), n. [OE.
chalenge claim, accusation, challenge, OF.
chalenge, chalonge, claim, accusation, contest, fr.
L. calumnia false accusation, chicanery. See
Calumny.] 1. An invitation to engage
in a contest or controversy of any kind; a defiance;
specifically, a summons to fight a duel; also, the letter or
message conveying the summons.
A challenge to controversy.
Goldsmith.
2. The act of a sentry in halting any one
who appears at his post, and demanding the countersign.
3. A claim or demand. [Obs.]
There must be no challenge of
superiority.
Collier.
4. (Hunting) The opening and
crying of hounds at first finding the scent of their
game.
5. (Law) An exception to a juror
or to a member of a court martial, coupled with a demand that he
should be held incompetent to act; the claim of a party that a
certain person or persons shall not sit in trial upon him or his
cause. Blackstone
6. An exception to a person as not
legally qualified to vote. The challenge must be made when the
ballot is offered. [U. S.]
Challenge to the array (Law), an
exception to the whole panel. -- Challenge to the
favor, the alleging a special cause, the
sufficiency of which is to be left to those whose duty and office
it is to decide upon it. -- Challenge to the
polls, an exception taken to any one or more of the
individual jurors returned. -- Peremptory
challenge, a privilege sometimes allowed to
defendants, of challenging a certain number of jurors (fixed by
statute in different States) without assigning any cause. --
Principal challenge, that which the law
allows to be sufficient if found to be true.
Chal"lenge, v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Challenged (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Challenging.] [OE. chalengen to
accuse, claim, OF. chalengier, chalongier, to
claim, accuse, dispute, fr. L. calumniar to attack with
false accusations. See Challenge, n.,
and cf. Calumniate.] 1. To call to a
contest of any kind; to call to answer; to defy.
I challenge any man to make any pretense to
power by right of fatherhood.
Locke.
2. To call, invite, or summon to answer
for an offense by personal combat.
By this I challenge him to single
fight.
Shak.
3. To claim as due; to demand as a
right.
Challenge better terms.
Addison.
4. To censure; to blame. [Obs.]
He complained of the emperors . . . and
challenged them for that he had no greater revenues . . .
from them.
Holland.
5. (Mil.) To question or demand
the countersign from (one who attempts to pass the lines); as,
the sentinel challenged us, with "Who comes
there?"
6. To take exception to; question; as, to
challenge the accuracy of a statement or of a
quotation.
7. (Law) To object to or take
exception to, as to a juror, or member of a court.
8. To object to the reception of the vote
of, as on the ground that the person in not qualified as a
voter. [U. S.]
To challenge to the array, favor,
polls. See under Challenge,
n.
Chal"lenge, v. i. To assert a
right; to claim a place.
Where nature doth with merit challenge.
Shak.
