'Skirmish' definitions:
Definition of 'skirmish'
(from WordNet)
Definition of 'Skirmish'
From: GCIDE
- Skirmish \Skir"mish\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skirmished; p. pr. & vb. n. Skirmishing.] [OE. skirmishen, scarmishen, OF. escremir, eskermir, to fence, fight, F. escrimer, of German origin; cf. OHG. scirmen to protect, defend, G. schirmen, OHG. scirm, scerm, protection, shield, G. schirm; perhaps akin to Gr. ???? a sunshade. Cf. Scaramouch, Scrimmage.] To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Skirmish'
From: GCIDE
- Skirmish \Skir"mish\, n.[OE. scarmishe, scrymishe. See Skirmish, v. i.]
- 1. A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops. [1913 Webster]
- 2. A slight contest. [1913 Webster]
- They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'skirmish'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- action,
- aerial combat,
- affray,
- ambush,
- armored combat,
- assault,
- attack,
- battle,
- battle royal,
- box,
- brawl,
- broil,
- brush,
- bullfight,
- clash,
- clash of arms,
- close,
- cockfight,
- collide,
- combat,
- come to blows,
- conflict,
- confrontation,
- contend,
- contest,
- cut and thrust,
- dogfight,
- duel,
- embroilment,
- encounter,
- engagement,
- exchange blows,
- exchange of blows,
- fence,
- feud,
- fight,
- fight a duel,
- fire fight,
- fracas,
- fray,
- give and take,
- give satisfaction,
- grapple,
- grapple with,
- ground combat,
- hand-to-hand combat,
- hand-to-hand fight,
- house-to-house combat,
- jostle,
- joust,
- melee,
- mix it up,
- naval combat,
- passage of arms,
- pitched battle,
- quarrel,
- rassle,
- riot,
- rumble,
- run a tilt,
- run-in,
- running fight,
- scramble,
- scrap,
- scrimmage,
- scuffle,
- set-to,
- shoving match,
- showdown,
- spar,
- stand-up fight,
- street fight,
- strive,
- struggle,
- tauromachy,
- thrust and parry,
- tilt,
- tourney,
- tug-of-war,
- tussle,
- wage war,
- war,
- wrestle