Definition of BATTLE

battle

Plural: battles

Noun

  • a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
    • "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"
  • an energetic attempt to achieve something
    • "he fought a battle for recognition"
  • an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); --Thomas Paine
    • "police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs"
  • A contest, a struggle.
  • A contest, a struggle.
  • A one-on-one competition in rapping or breakdance.
  • A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; a combat, an engagement.
  • A division of an army; a battalion.
  • The main body of an army, as distinct from the vanguard and rear; the battalia.
  • Clipping of battle buddy.

Verb

Verb Forms: battled, battling, battles

  • To fight or contend in a struggle.
  • battle or contend against in or as if in a battle
    • "they battled over the budget"
  • To join in battle; to contend in fight
  • To fight or struggle; to enter into a battle with.
  • To feed or nourish (someone or something).
  • To render (land, soil, etc.) fertile or fruitful.

Adj

  • Of grass or pasture: nutritious to cattle or sheep; fattening, nourishing.
  • Of land (originally pastureland) or soil: fertile, fruitful.

Examples

  • battle grass    battle pasture
  • battle land    battle soil
  • Scientists always battle over theories.
  • She has been battling against cancer for years.
  • She has been battling cancer for years.
  • the battle of life
  • We battle over every open vowel on the Words with Friends board.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English batel, batell, batelle, batayle, bataylle, borrowed from Old French bataille, from Late Latin battālia, variant of battuālia (“fighting and fencing exercises”) from Latin battuō (“to strike, hit, beat, fight”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from a Gaulish or Proto-Germanic root from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to stab, dig”), related to Old English beado (“battle”); or possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to hit, strike, beat”). Doublet of battalia and battel. Displaced native Old English ġefeoht, beado, camp, and wīg (“battle”), among others.

Scrabble Score: 8

battle: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
battle: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
battle: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

battle: valid Words With Friends Word