Note: 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 mêlée. 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.]
Etym: [F. batailler, fr. bataille. See Battle, n.]
Defn: To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over
theories.
To meet in arms, and battle in the plain. Prior.
BATTLE
Bat"tle, v. t.
Defn: To assail in battle; to fight.
BATTLE-AX; BATTLE-AXE
Bat"tle-ax` Bat"tle-axe`, n. (Mil.)
Defn: A kind of broadax formerly used as an offensive weapon.
BATTLED
Bat"tled, p. p.
Defn: Embattled. [Poetic] Tennyson.