firefight

American  

[fahyuhr-fahyt] / ˈfaɪərˌfaɪt /

noun

1. an exchange of gunfire between two opposing forces, especially a skirmish between military forces.

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firefight British  

/ ˈfaɪəˌfaɪt /

noun

1. a brief small-scale engagement between opposing military ground forces using short-range light weapons

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Etymology

Origin of firefight

First recorded in 1895–1900; fire + fight

Example Sentences

Both men were hurt again but there would be no finish for either, as it was the bell that called the end of a brilliant firefight.

From BBC

The fact that six-and-a-half decades have passed with barely a comparable firefight between Cuban and US troops, either during the Cold War or afterwards, shows how rare it is.

From BBC

After briefly stumbling from a Matias combination, an unfazed Smith came roaring back in a fifth-round firefight.

From BBC

They also require strategic fuel breaks to slow the progression of flames, standardized fire hydrants and water sources to aid the firefight, and when practical, at least 30 feet between buildings and the property lines to limit the spread of fire between homes.

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, Michael Gollner, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley who studies how wildfires destroy and damage homes, noted that the nonprofit’s sample does not perfectly represent the entire burn areas, since the group focused specifically on damaged properties and were constrained by the active firefight.

From Los Angeles Times