Battle /(băt"t'l)/

Bat·tle

Battle

a.
  1. Fertile. See Battel, a. [Obs.]

Battle

n.
  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. [Obs.]
    The king divided his army into three battles.
    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. [Obs.]

Phrases & Compounds
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.
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 under Wager, n.
Syn. -- 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.

Battle

v. i.

imp. & p. p. Battled; p. pr. & vb. n. Battling

  1. To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories.
    To meet in arms, and battle in the plain.

Battle

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