Battle

n. [Fr. bataille, Pr. batailla, Sp. batalla, It. battaglia, Lat. battalia, battualia, the fighting and fencing exercises of soldiers and gladiators, from batuere, to strike, to beat. See BATTALIA and BATTER, v. t.]

1Sense 1. A fight or encounter between enemies or opposing forces; an engagement; a combat.

2Sense 2. A body of forces, or division of an army; a battalion. [Obs.]

The king divided his army into three battles. Bacon.

The cavalry, by way of distinction, was called the battle, and on it alone depended the fate of every action. Robertson.

3Sense 3. The main body, as distinct from the van and rear. [Obs.] Hagnward.

A drawn battle, one in which neither party gains the victory.—A pitched battle, one in which the armies are previously drawn up in form, with a regular disposition of the forces.—Battle royal. (a.) A contest with fists or cudgels in which more than two are engaged: a melee. Thackeray. (b.) A fight of game-cocks, in which more than two are engaged. Grose.—To give battle is to attack an enemy; to join battle is properly to meet the attack; but perhaps this distinction is not always observed.

Synonyms—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.

The battle proved decisive in favor of the House of York, and nearly forty thousand people were killed in that engagement. Fawkes.

The combat deepens; on, ye brave, Who rush to glory or the grave! Campbell.

[imp. & p. p. BATTLED; p. pr. & vb. n. BATTLING.] [Fr. batailler, Pr. batailhar, Sp. batallar, to combat. See supra.] To join in battle; to contend in fight.

To meet in arms, and battle in the plain. Prior.

v. t. 1. To cover with armed force. Fairfax. 2. To strengthen with battlements. Fletcher.