Lexic.us

Definition of Battle

1. Noun. A hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war. "He lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement"

2. Verb. Battle or contend against in or as if in a battle. "Sam cannot battle Sue "; "They battled over the budget"

3. Noun. An energetic attempt to achieve something. "He fought a battle for recognition"

4. Noun. An open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals). "Police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs"

Definition of Battle

1. a. Fertile. See Battel, a.

2. n. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat.

3. v. i. To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories.

4. v. t. To assail in battle; to fight.

Definition of Battle

1. Proper noun. (surname habitational from=Middle English dot=) from places in England that have been sites of a battle. ¹

2. Proper noun. a town in East Sussex. ¹

3. Adjective. (context: UK dialectal chiefly Scotland Northern England) (context: agriculture) Improving; nutritious; fattening. ¹

4. Adjective. (context: UK dialectal chiefly Scotland Northern England) Fertile; fruitful. ¹

5. Verb. (transitive UK dialectal chiefly Scotland Northern England) To nourish; feed. ¹

6. Verb. (transitive UK dialectal chiefly Scotland Northern England) To render fertile or fruitful, as in soil. ¹

7. Noun. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat. ¹

8. Noun. A struggle; a contest; as, ''the battle of life''. ¹

9. Noun. (rare) A division of an army; a battalion. ¹

10. Noun. (obsolete) The main body, as distinct from the vanguard and rear; battalia. ¹

11. Verb. (intransitive) : To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories. ¹

12. Verb. (transitive) : To assail in battle; to fight. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Battle

1. to fight [v -TLED, -TLING, -TLES] - See also: fight

Medical Definition of Battle

1. 1. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat. 2. A struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life. "The whole intellectual battle that had at its center the best poem of the best poet of that day." (H. Morley) 3. A division of an army; a battalion. "The king divided his army into three battles." (Bacon) "The cavalry, by way of distinction, was called the battle, and on it alone depended the fate of every action." (Robertson) 4. The main body, as distinct from the van and rear; battalia. Battle is used adjectively or as the first part of a self-explaining compound; as, battle brand, a "brand" or sword used in battle; battle cry; battlefield; battle ground; battlearray; battle song. Battle piece, a painting, or a musical composition, representing a battle. Battle royal. A fight between several gamecocks, where the one that stands longest is the victor. Grose. A contest with fists or cudgels in which more than two are engaged; a melee. Thackeray. Drawn battle, one in which neither party gains the victory. To give battle, to attack an enemy. To join battle, to meet the attack; to engage in battle. Pitched battle, one in which the armies are previously drawn up in form, with a regular disposition of the forces. Wager of battle. See Wager. Synonym: Conflict, encounter, contest, action. Battle, Combat, Fight, Engagement. These words agree in denoting a close encounter between contending parties. Fight is a word of less dignity than the others. Except in poetry, it is more naturally applied to the encounter of a few individuals, and more commonly an accidental one; as, a street fight. A combat is a close encounter, whether between few or many, and is usually premeditated. A battle is commonly more general and prolonged. An engagement supposes large numbers on each side, engaged or intermingled in the conflict. Origin: OE. Bataille, bataile, F. Bataille battle, OF, battle, battalion, fr. L. Battalia, battualia, the fighting and fencing exercises of soldiers and gladiators, fr. Batuere to strike, beat. Cf. Battalia, 1st Battel, and see Batter. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Battle Pictures

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Lexicographical Neighbors of Battle

batting average batting averages batting away batting cage batting coach batting for both sides batting glove batting gloves batting helmet batting in

batting order batting orders batting out battings battish battle's sign battle-ax battle-axe battle-axes battle-cruiser

battle-cruisers battle-damaged battle-royal battle-sark battle-scarred battle axe battle axes battle buddies battle buddy

Literary usage of Battle

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. On War by Carl von Clausewitz, James John Graham, Frederic Natusch Maude (1908)
"These means are generally estimated at more than they are worth—they have seldom the value of a battle ; besides which it is always to be feared that the ..."

2. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (1899)
"The event of the battle of ... 12, 13) almost alone describes the council* and actions which were terminated by the fatal battle of ..."

3. Thucydides Translated Into English by Benjamin Jowett, Thucydides (1881)
"Delium was captured seventeen days after the battle. 101. ... In the battle the Boeotians lost somewhat ^ong"he; less than five hundred : the Athenians not ..."

4. The Iliad of Homer by Homer, John Graham Cordery (1871)
"The Trojans knew the mind of Zeus their own, And leapt the fiercer on their foes, and set Their whole hearts to the battle. As, by force Of a strong wind, ..."

5. Southern History of the War by Edward Alfred Pollard (1865)
"Results of the battle of Gettysburg Negative.—Lee's Retreat Across the Potomac an Inconsequence.—Disappointment in Richmond.—The Budget of a Single Day in ..."

Other Resources Relating to: Battle