Wār1, n.
n. [O. Eng. & A-S. averre, uuerre, O. Fr. werre, gerre, gierre, guerre, N. Fr. guerre, Prov. Sp., Pg., & It. guerra, from O. H. Ger. werra, scandal, quarrel, sedition, from werran, to confound, mix, D. warren, id., N. H. Ger. wirren, verwirren, to embroil, confound, disturb.]
Sense 1. State of opposition or contest; act of opposition; inimical act or action; enmity; hostility. “Raised impious war in heaven.” Milton.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. Ps. lv. 21.
Sense 2. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, either for defense, or for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce or acquisition of territory, or for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other; armed conflict of sovereign powers; declared and open hostilities.
Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed. F. W. Robertson.
☞ As war is the contest of nations or states, it always implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch or the sovereign power of the nation. A war commenced by attacking another nation, is called an offensive war, and such attack is aggressive. When war is undertaken to repel invasion or the attacks of an enemy, it is called defensive.
Sense 3. Instruments of war. [Rare.] “His complement of stores, and total war.” Prior.
Sense 4. Forces; army. [Poet.]
O’er the embattled ranks the waves return, And overwhelm their war. Milton.
Sense 5. The profession of arms; art of war.
Thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. I Sam. xvii. 33.
Civil war, a war between different sections or parties of the same country or nation. — Holy war, a crusade; a war undertaken to deliver the Holy Land, or Judea, from infidels. — Man-of-war (Naut.), a national ship of large size, armed and equipped for attack or defense. — Public war, a war between independent sovereign states. — War department, that department of a government which takes charge of all matters relating to war.