battle

[Bat·tle]

A battle is an open struggle, usually between two groups like a baseball championship game or a food fight.

...

Fertile. See Battel, a.

Noun
an energetic attempt to achieve something; "getting through the crowd was a real struggle"; "he fought a battle for recognition"

Noun
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement"

Noun
an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); "the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph"--Thomas Paine; "police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs"

Verb
battle or contend against in or as if in a battle; "The Kurds are combating Iraqi troops in Nothern Iraq"; "We must combat the prejudices against other races"; "they battled over the budget"

a.
Fertile. See Battel, a.

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

v. t.
A struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life.

v. t.
A division of an army; a battalion.

v. t.
The main body, as distinct from the van and rear; battalia.

n.
To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories.

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

Battle

Bat"tle , a. Fertile. See Battel, a. [Obs.]

Battle

Bat"tle, n. [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, v. t. ] 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.

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.

4. The main body, as distinct from the van and rear; battalia. [Obs.] Hayward. &hand; 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) A fight between several gamecocks, where the one that stands longest is the victor. Grose. (b) A contest with fists or cudgels in which more than two are engaged; a m'88l'82e. 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 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

Bat"tle , v. i. [imp. & p. p. Battled (); p. pr. & vb. n. Battling.] [F. batailler, fr. bataille. See Battle, n.] To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories.

To meet in arms, and battle in the plain.

Battle

Bat"tle, v. t. To assail in battle; to fight.

Fertile. See Battel, a.

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

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

To assail in battle; to fight.

...

Usage Examples

All married couples should learn the art of battle as they should learn the art of making love. Good battle is objective and honest - never vicious or cruel. Good battle is healthy and constructive, and brings to a marriage the principles of equal partnership.

Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.

And then there's all these other creeps that surround your band and suck off you like leeches and try to manipulate you and your business. You have to watch like a hawk. I'm always ready to fight. I see it very much as a battle.

Courage in danger is half the battle.

At the time when this famous historical battle was fought in Kosovo, the people were looking at the stars, expecting aid from them. Now, six centuries later, they are looking at the stars again, waiting to conquer them.

For in the end, freedom is a personal and lonely battle and one faces down fears of today so that those of tomorrow might be engaged.

Misspelled Form

battle, vbattle, gbattle, hbattle, nbattle, battle, vattle, gattle, hattle, nattle, attle, bvattle, bgattle, bhattle, bnattle, b attle, bqattle, bwattle, bsattle, bzattle, bqttle, bwttle, bsttle, bzttle, baqttle, bawttle, basttle, bazttle, barttle, ba5ttle, ba6ttle, bayttle, bagttle, bartle, ba5tle, ba6tle, baytle, bagtle, batrtle, bat5tle, bat6tle, batytle, batgtle, batrtle, bat5tle, bat6tle, batytle, batgtle, batrle, bat5le, bat6le, batyle, batgle, battrle, batt5le, batt6le, battyle, battgle, battkle, battole, battple, batt:le, battke, battoe, battpe, batt:e, battlke, battloe, battlpe, battl:e, battlwe, battl3e, battl4e, battlre, battlse, battlde, battlw, battl3, battl4, battlr, battls, battld, battlew, battle3, battle4, battler, battles, battled.

Other Usage Examples

A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.

A constant struggle, a ceaseless battle to bring success from inhospitable surroundings, is the price of all great achievements.

Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle.

All brave men love for he only is brave who has affections to fight for, whether in the daily battle of life, or in physical contests.

Cancer has been unfortunately in my life. My mom's best friend is kicking ass in her battle with breast cancer. Both of my grandmas had cancer. I recently lost a friend to cancer.

Every soldier must know, before he goes into battle, how the little battle he is to fight fits into the larger picture, and how the success of his fighting will influence the battle as a whole.