Word Study
contestant
CIDE DICTIONARY
contestant, n. [Cf. F. contestant.].
One who contests; an opponent; a litigant; a disputant; one who claims that which has been awarded to another. [1913 Webster]
THESAURUS
contestant
adversary, battler, belligerent, belted knight, bickerer, blade, bravo, brawler, bully, bullyboy, carouser, combatant, competitor, contender, corrival, cutup, disputant, duelist, emulator, enforcer, entrant, fencer, feuder, fighter, fighting cock, foilsman, frisker, frolicker, funmaker, gamboler, gamecock, gladiator, goon, gorilla, hatchet man, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, jouster, knight, merrymaker, militant, opponent, participant, playboy, player, pleasure-seeker, pleasurer, pleasurist, plug-ugly, quarreler, reveler, rioter, rival, rollicker, rough, rowdy, ruffian, sabreur, scrapper, scuffler, skylarker, squabbler, strong arm, strong-arm man, strong-armer, struggler, swashbuckler, sword, swordplayer, swordsman, the field, thug, tilter, tough, tussler, vier, wranglerFor further exploring for "contestant" in Webster Dictionary Online