battle

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   A contest, a struggle.

   • the battle of life
2. 2

   A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may…

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

3. 3

   A division of an army

   A division of an army; a battalion.

   • Thenne kyng Arthur made redy his hooſt in x batails and Nero was redy in the felde afore the caſtel Tarabil with a grete hooſt / & he had x batails with many mo peple than Arthur had […]
   • They ſay, that the King diuided his Armie into three Battailes; whereof the Vant-guard onely well ſtrengthened with wings, came to fight.
   • Already Cæſar Has ravaged more than half the Globe, and ſees Mankind grown thin by his deſtructive Sword: Should he go further, Numbers would be wanting To form new Battels, and ſupport his Crimes.
4. ›+ 10 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      The main body of an army, as distinct from the vanguard and rear

      The main body of an army, as distinct from the vanguard and rear; the battalia.

      • hovering aloofe in the fields he suffered Wyat his Van and main Battell (cutting off some of the Reare) to march undisturbed save with one shot, from Knights-Bridge to Charing Chrosse.
      • The artillery, under Waldmann, with whom Herter rode in company, was divided between the vanguard and the “battle,” or main body, which comprised the bulk of the army.
   2. 5

      Clipping of battle buddy.

   3. 6

      To join in battle

      To join in battle; to contend in fight

      • Scientists always battle over theories.
      • She has been battling against cancer for years.
      • Hard work is required from men and machines as I was to experience later when footplating Lambton No 5 on five bogies battling its way up Newtondale.
   4. 7

      To fight or struggle

      To fight or struggle; to enter into a battle with.

      • She has been battling cancer for years.
   5. 8

      Of grass or pasture

      Of grass or pasture: nutritious to cattle or sheep; fattening, nourishing.

      • battle grass    battle pasture
   6. 9

      Of land (originally pastureland) or soil

      Of land (originally pastureland) or soil: fertile, fruitful.

      • battle land    battle soil
   7. 10

      To feed or nourish (someone or something).

   8. 11

      To render (land, soil, etc.) fertile or fruitful.

      • To Devonſhire or Denſhire land. That is, to pare off the ſurface or top turf thereof, and to lay it upon heaps and burn it; vvhich aſhes are a marvelous improvement to battle barren land, by reaſon of the fixt ſalt vvhich they contain.
   9. 12

      A habitational surname from Middle English from places in England that have been sites of…

      A habitational surname from Middle English from places in England that have been sites of a battle.

   10. 13

       A place name

       A place name:

The neighborhood

• neighborbattlement
• neighborembattle
• neighborbatful
• neighborbatten