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battle

Pronunciation: /ˈbat(ə)l/
Translate battle | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of battle

noun

  • a sustained fight between large organized armed forces:the battle lasted for several hours [in names]:the Battle of Waterloo [mass noun]:he died in battle
  • a lengthy and difficult conflict or struggle:the battle against ageing

verb

[no object]
  • struggle tenaciously to achieve or resist something:he has been battling against the illness
  • [with object] engage in a fight or struggle against:firefighters battled a 9,800-acre brush fire

Phrases

battle it out

fight or compete to a definite conclusion: bike riders from all over the country battled it out

battle royal

(plural battles royal) a fiercely contested fight or dispute: there promises to be a battle royal between the two companies

battle stations

chiefly US the positions taken by military personnel in preparation for battle (often used as a command or signal to prepare for battle).

half the battle

an important step towards achieving something:he never gives in, and that’s half the battle

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French bataille (noun), bataillier (verb), based on late Latin battualia 'military or gladiatorial exercises', from Latin battuere 'to beat'

battle in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of battle in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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