Skirmish
/ˈskɜːmɪʃ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A brief battle between small groups, usually part of a longer or larger battle or war.
"On 2 March, Chinese border guards with the help of regular PLA forces skillfully ambushed Strelnikov's unit on the ice near Chen Pao, killing him and 30 Soviets in the subsequent skirmish."
- 2 a minor short-term fight wordnet
- 3 Any minor dispute. broadly, figuratively
"Three people were arrested after a skirmish in a bar."
- 4 A type of outdoor military style game using paintball or similar weapons.
Verb
- 1 To engage in a minor battle or dispute. intransitive
"The deer and the pig and the nilghai were milling round and round in a circle of eight or ten miles radius, while the Eaters of Flesh skirmished round its edge."
- 2 engage in a skirmish wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"He was involved in a skirmish with a violent gang."
Etymology
From Middle English skirmish (as a verb), from Old French escarmouche (“skirmish”), from Italian scaramuccia, earlier schermugio. Doublet of escarmouche, Scaramouche, and Scaramucci.