battle

¹

[ bat-l ]

noun

1. a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces:

   the battle of Waterloo.

   Synonyms: war, conflict, contest

2. participation in such hostile encounters or engagements:

   wounds received in battle.

   Synonyms: combat, warfare

3. a fight between two persons or animals:

   ordering a trial by battle to settle the dispute.

4. any conflict or struggle:

   a battle for control of the Senate.

5. Archaic. a battalion.

verb (used without object)

, bat·tled, bat·tling.

1. to engage in battle:

   ready to battle with the enemy.

2. to work very hard or struggle; strive:

   to battle for freedom.

   Synonyms: toil

verb (used with object)

, bat·tled, bat·tling.

1. to fight (a person, army, cause, etc.):

   We battled strong winds and heavy rains in our small boat.

2. to force or accomplish by fighting, struggling, etc.:

   He battled his way to the top of his profession.

battle

²

[ bat-l ]

verb (used with object)

, Archaic.

, bat·tled, bat·tling.

1. to furnish (a building or wall) with battlements; crenelate.

Battle

¹

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. a town in SE England, in East Sussex: site of the Battle of Hastings (1066); medieval abbey. Pop: 5190 (2001)

Battle

²

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. BattleKathleen1948FUSMUSIC: coloratura soprano Kathleen . born 1948, US opera singer: a coloratura soprano, she made her professional debut in 1972 and sang with New York City's Metropolitan Opera (1977–94)

battle

³

/ ˈbætəl /

noun

1. a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
2. conflict; contention; struggle

   his battle for recognition

3. do battle or give battle or join battle
   to start fighting

verb

1. whenintr, often foll by against, for, or with to fight in or as if in military combat; contend (with)

   she battled against cancer

2. to struggle in order to achieve something or arrive somewhere

   he battled through the crowd

3. intr to scrape a living, esp by doing odd jobs

Derived Forms

• ˈbattler, noun

Other Words From

• battler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of battle¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English batail(le), batal, from Old French bataille, from Vulgar Latin battālia (unrecorded) for Late Latin battuālia (neuter plural) “gladiatorial exercises,” equivalent to battu(ere) “to strike” + -ālia, neuter plural of -ālis adjective suffix; -al ², bate ²

Origin of battle²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English batailen, from Middle French bataillier “to provide with batailles; battlement

Word History and Origins

Origin of battle¹

C13: from Old French bataile , from Late Latin battālia exercises performed by soldiers, from battuere to beat

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. give / do battle, to enter into conflict; fight:

   He was ready to do battle for his beliefs.

More idioms and phrases containing battle

see half the battle ; losing battle ; pitched battle .

Synonym Study

Battle, action, skirmish mean a conflict between organized armed forces. A battle is a prolonged and general conflict pursued to a definite decision: the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. A skirmish is a slight engagement, often on the periphery of an area of battle: several minor skirmishes. An action can be a battle or a skirmish or can refer to actual fighting or combat: a major military action; action along the border; He saw action in the campaign.

Example Sentences

Cronin and his staff doggedly pursued Nikolas Khamenia, a star forward from Harvard-Westlake, as part of an intense recruiting battle that ultimately went in Duke’s favor when Khamenia announced last month that he would become a Blue Devil.

From Los Angeles Times

For many, this argument over population and immigration had become a battle over whether Americans want to live in a diverse society.

From Salon

For the first time, Cox and Pope both saw that the internecine battle appeared coordinated.

From Salon

All three candidates lost — Lamm received just 13,000 votes — bringing an end to what Pope described as the first modern battle to bring white supremacy into mainstream America under the guise of environmentalism.

From Salon

It might have seemed an obscure, even parochial, battle, but America’s right wing was watching.

From Salon

Related Words

• action
• assault
• attack
• bloodshed
• bombing
• campaign
• clash
• combat
• conflict
• crusade
• encounter
• fighting
• hostility
• skirmish
• strife
• struggle
• war
• warfare