battle
1[ bat-l ]
/ ˈbæt l /
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noun
verb (used without object), bat·tled, bat·tling.
to engage in battle: ready to battle with the enemy.
to work very hard or struggle; strive: to battle for freedom.
verb (used with object), bat·tled, bat·tling.
to fight (a person, army, cause, etc.): We battled strong winds and heavy rains in our small boat.
to force or accomplish by fighting, struggling, etc.: He battled his way to the top of his profession.
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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Idioms about battle
give / do battle, to enter into conflict; fight: He was ready to do battle for his beliefs.
Origin of battle
1First 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; see also -al2, bate2
synonym study for battle
1. 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.
OTHER WORDS FROM battle
battler, nounOther definitions for battle (2 of 2)
battle2
[ bat-l ]
/ ˈbæt l /
verb (used with object), bat·tled, bat·tling.Archaic.
to furnish (a building or wall) with battlements; crenelate.
Origin of battle
2First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English batailen, from Middle French bataillier “to provide with batailles; see battlement
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use battle in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for battle (1 of 3)
battle
/ (ˈbætəl) /
noun
a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
conflict; contention; strugglehis battle for recognition
do battle, give battle or join battle to start fighting
verb
(when intr , often foll by against, for, or with) to fight in or as if in military combat; contend (with)she battled against cancer
to struggle in order to achieve something or arrive somewherehe battled through the crowd
(intr) Australian to scrape a living, esp by doing odd jobs
Derived forms of battle
battler, nounWord Origin for battle
C13: from Old French bataile, from Late Latin battālia exercises performed by soldiers, from battuere to beat
British Dictionary definitions for battle (2 of 3)
Battle1
/ (ˈbætəl) /
noun
a town in SE England, in East Sussex: site of the Battle of Hastings (1066); medieval abbey. Pop: 5190 (2001)
British Dictionary definitions for battle (3 of 3)
Battle2
/ (ˈbætəl) /
noun
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)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with battle
battle
see half the battle; losing battle; pitched battle.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.