battle
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
battle/ˈbatl/
▶noun
- 1 a sustained fight between organized armed forces.
- 2 a lengthy and difficult conflict or struggle.
– phrases
battle royal (pl. battles royal) a fiercely contested fight or dispute.
battle stations chiefly US the positions taken by military personnel in preparation for battle.
battle royal (pl. battles royal) a fiercely contested fight or dispute.
battle stations chiefly US the positions taken by military personnel in preparation for battle.
– derivatives
battler noun.
battler noun.
– origin ME: from OFr. bataille (n.), bataillier (v.), based on late L. battualia ‘military or gladiatorial exercises’, from L. battuere ‘to beat’.
'battle' also found in these Oxford entries:
Armageddon
- armour
- arms
- attack
- banneret
- banzai
- battalion
- battels
- battlefield
- battlement
- berserk
- blind
- boot
- cope
- cringe
- decisive
- discomfit
- dressing station
- embattle
- embattled
- engagement
- fallen
- few
- field of honour
- fiery cross
- firefight
- firing line
- fray
- friend
- gallantry
- hubbub
- join
- kop
- line
- loosestrife
- losing battle
- magenta
- marathon
- mock
- muster
- order
- pitched battle
- prowess
- rencounter
- roll
- running battle
- salvo
- scalp
- second line
