combat

Noun · Verb
Synonyms: armed combatfightfightingscrapbattle

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

  1. an engagement fought between two military forcesSynonyms: armed combat
  2. the act of fighting; any contest or struggle“a fight broke out at the hockey game”“there was fighting in the streets”“the unhappy couple got into a terrible scrap”Synonyms: fightfightingscrap

Verb (1)

  1. battle or contend against in or as if in a battle“The Kurds are combating Iraqi troops in Northern Iraq”“We must combat the prejudices against other races”“they battled over the budget”Synonyms: battle
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Combat \Com"bat\ (? or ?; 277), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Combated; p. pr. & vb. n. Combating.] [F. combattre; pref. com- + battre to beat, fr. L. battuere to strike. See Batter.] To struggle or contend, as with an opposing force; to fight. [1913 Webster]

To combat with a blind man I disdain. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

After the fall of the republic, the Romans combated only for the choice of masters. --Gibbon. [1913 Webster]

Combat \Com"bat\, v. t. To fight with; to oppose by force, argument, etc.; to contend against; to resist. [1913 Webster]

When he the ambitious Norway combated. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

And combated in silence all these reasons. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Minds combat minds, repelling and repelled. --Goldsmith.

Syn: To fight against; resist; oppose; withstand; oppugn; antagonize; repel; resent. [1913 Webster]

Combat \Com"bat\, n. [Cf. F. combat.]

1.A fight; a contest of violence; a struggle for supremacy. [1913 Webster]

My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st.— Shak.[1913 Webster]
The noble combat that 'twixt joy and sorrow was fought in Paulina.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

2.(Mil.) An engagement of no great magnitude; or one in which the parties engaged are not armies. [1913 Webster]

Single combat, one in which a single combatant meets a single opponent, as in the case of David and Goliath; also, a duel.

Syn: A battle; engagement; conflict; contest; contention; struggle; fight, strife. See Battle, Contest. [1913 Webster]

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