Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GANT'LOPE, n. [The last syllable is from the Teutonic, D. loopen, to run. The first is probably from gang, a passage. The German has gassenlaufer, street runner.]

A military punishment inflicted on criminals for some hainous offense. It is executed in this manner; soldiers are arranged in two rows, face to face, each armed with a switch or instrument of punishment; between these rows, the offender, stripped to his waist, is compelled to pass a certain number of times, and each man gives him a stroke. A similar punishment is used on board of ships. Hence this word is chiefly used in the phrase, to run the gantlet or gantlope. Dryden. Mar. Dict.