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

The Democrats and the other supposed defenders of American democracy and civil society are instead largely behaving like the battle to defeat Trumpism is now lost even before he has even taken office.

From Salon

After setting the home side a mammoth 583, England battled high winds, the threat of showers and Tom Blundell's swashbuckling 115.

From BBC

This sparked a lengthy legal battle 6,000 miles away in the UK, and while that took its course, Shanthi and the others stuck there, took matters into her own hands.

From BBC

There will be wider fears that Syria could plunge into an even more calamitous state, with various factions battling each other for control.

From BBC

Getting on the court was a battle for Rice, who had to weigh her desire to play against the potential harm in returning too soon.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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