glădĭātor (noun M) : gladius; cf. digladior
* A swordsman, fighter in the public games, a gladiator (cf.: lanista, mirmillo, secutor, retiarius, bestiarius, pugil, athleta).
* Lit.: athletae et gladiatores,Cic. Or. 68, 228: gladiatorum spectaculum,id. Tusc. 2, 17, 41: ut emat gladiatores,id. Sull. 19, 55: ut gladiatoribus imperari solet,id. Sest. 37, 80: nobiles,id. Phil. 3, 14, 35: tam bonus gladiator rudem tam cito accepisti,id. ib. 2, 29, 74: quis tota Italia veneficus, quis gladiator, quis latro, quis sicarius, etc.,id. Cat. 2, 4, 7.—As a term of reproach: Gracchorum potentiam majorem fuisse arbitramini quam hujus gladiatoris (i. e. Antonii) futura sit?Cic. Phil. 5, 12, 32; 7, 6, 17; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 62, § 146: vetus proverbium est, gladiatorem in arena capere consilium,Sen. Ep. 22, 1: (gladiatorum) emptio et venditio, an locatio et conductio,Gai. Inst. 3, 146.
* Transf., in plur., a combat of gladiators, gladiatorial exhibition: rumor venit datum iri gladiatores; populus convolat, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 32; Cic. Sest. 64, 133 and 135; Suet. Tit. 7: edere,id. Aug. 45; id. Dom. 4: edendis gladiatoribus praesedit,Tac. A. 1, 76: locum gladiatoribus dare,Cic. Att. 2, 1, 5; id. Phil. 9, 7, 16; abl. absol.: gladiatoribus,at a show of gladiators,id. ib. 2, 19, 3; cf.: ut Romam vitet gladiatoribus, Lucil. ap. Non. 165, 14; Asin. Poll. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 3; cf.: gladiatores, quod spectaculum inter epulas erat, eo ornatu armarunt (Campani), etc.,Liv. 9, 40, 17.—*
* A swordcutler: carpentarii, scandularii, gladiatores, aquilices, tubarii, etc.,Dig. 50, 6, 6.

s. TLL