bat·tle /ˈbætḷ/
 戰鬥,戰役;鬥爭(vi.)鬥爭,搏鬥
 Bat·tle a. Fertile. See Battel, a. [Obs.]
 Bat·tle, n.
 1. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat.
 2. A struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life.
    The whole intellectual battle that had at its center the best poem of the best poet of that day.   --H. Morley.
 3. A 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.
 4. The main body, as distinct from the van and rear; battalia. [Obs.]
 Note: ☞ Battle is used adjectively or as the first part of a self-explaining compound; as, battle brand, a “brand” or sword used in battle; battle cry; battlefield; battle ground; battle array; battle song.
 Battle piece, a painting, or a musical composition, representing a battle.
 Battle royal. (a) A fight between several gamecocks, where the one that stands longest is the victor. --Grose. (b) A contest with fists or cudgels in which more than two are engaged; a mêlée. --Thackeray.
 Drawn battle, one in which neither party gains the victory.
 To give battle, to attack an enemy.
 To join battle, to meet the attack; to engage in battle.
 Pitched battle, one in which the armies are previously drawn up in form, with a regular disposition of the forces.
 Wager of battle. See under Wager, n.
 Syn: -- Conflict; encounter; contest; action.
 Usage: 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.
 Bat·tle v. i. [imp. & p. p. Battled p. pr. & vb. n. Battling.]  To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories.
    To meet in arms, and battle in the plain.   --Prior.
 Bat·tle, v. t. To assail in battle; to fight.
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 battle
      n 1: a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course
           of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of
           Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when
           he got into a real engagement" [syn: conflict, fight,
            engagement]
      2: an energetic attempt to achieve something; "getting through
         the crowd was a real struggle"; "he fought a battle for
         recognition" [syn: struggle]
      3: an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals);
         "the harder the conflict the more glorious the
         triumph"--Thomas Paine; "police tried to control the
         battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs" [syn: conflict,
          struggle]
      v : battle or contend against in or as if in a battle; "The
          Kurds are combating Iraqi troops in Nothern Iraq"; "We
          must combat the prejudices against other races"; "they
          battled over the budget" [syn: combat]