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combat

Syllabification: (com·bat)

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Definition of combat

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkämˌbat/

fighting between armed forces:men killed in combat pilots re-enacted the aerial combats of yesteryear [as modifier]:a combat zone
nonviolent conflict or opposition:intellectual combat

verb

Pronunciation: /kəmˈbat, ˈkämˌbat/

(combats, combating or combatting, combated or combatted) [with object]

take action to reduce, destroy, or prevent (something undesirable):an effort to combat drug trafficking
archaic engage in a fight with; oppose in battle: [no object]:your men combated against the first of ours

Origin:

mid 16th century (originally denoting a fight between two persons or parties): from French combattre (verb), from late Latin combattere, from com- 'together with' + battere, variant of Latin batuere 'to fight'

The verb forms combating and combated are usually spelled with a single t, although the spellings combatting and combatted are also correct.

combat in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of combat in the British & World English dictionary

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