Movatterモバイル変換

[0]ホーム
URL:

Jump to content
WiktionaryThe Free Dictionary
Search

battle

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also:Battle

English

[edit]

Pronunciation

[edit]

Etymology 1

[edit]

FromMiddle Englishbatel,batell,batelle,batayle,bataylle, borrowed fromOld Frenchbataille, fromLate Latinbattālia, variant ofbattuālia(“fighting and fencing exercises”) fromLatinbattuō(“to strike, hit, beat, fight”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from aGaulish orProto-Germanic root fromProto-Indo-European*bʰedʰ-(“to stab, dig”), related toOld Englishbeado(“battle”); or possibly from aProto-Indo-European*bʰew-(“to hit, strike, beat”).Doublet ofbattalia andbattel. Displaced nativeOld Englishġefeoht,beado,camp, andwīg(“battle”), among others.

Alternative forms

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

battle (pluralbattles)

  1. Acontest, astruggle.
    thebattle of life
    1. Aone-on-one competition inrapping orbreakdance.
  2. (military) Ageneralaction,fight, orencounter, in which all thedivisions of anarmy are or may beengaged; acombat, anengagement.
  3. (military, now rare) A division of an army; abattalion.
    • [1470–1485 (date produced),Thomas Malory, “Capitulum x”, in[Le Morte Darthur], book II (in Middle English), [London: […] byWilliam Caxton], published31 July 1485,→OCLC, leaf 43, verso; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor,Le Morte Darthur […], London:David Nutt, […],1889,→OCLC,page86, lines28–31:
      Thenne kyng Arthur made redy his hooſt in xbatails and Nero was redy in the felde afore the caſtel Tarabil with a grete hooſt / & he had xbatails with many mo peple than Arthur had[…]
      ThenKing Arthur made ready his host in 10battles and Nero was ready in the field before the castle Tarabil with a great host / and he had 10battles with many more people than Arthur had […] ]
    • 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e.Francis Bacon],The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret,→OCLC,page35:
      They ſay, that the King diuided his Armie into threeBattailes; whereof theVant-guard onely well ſtrengthened with wings, came to fight.
    • 1712 (date written),[Joseph] Addison,Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published1713,→OCLC, Act I, scene i,page 1:
      AlreadyCæſar
      Has ravaged more than half the Globe, and ſees
      Mankind grown thin by his deſtructive Sword:
      Should he go further, Numbers would be wanting
      To form newBattels, and ſupport his Crimes.
    • 1769,William Robertson, “Section II. View of the Progress of Society in Europe, with Respect to the Command of the National Force Requisite in Foreign Operations.”, inThe History of the Reign of theEmperor Charles V. With a View of the Progress of Society in Europe, from the Subversion of the Roman Empire, to the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century. In Three Volumes, volume I, London: Printed by W. and W. Strahan, forW[illiam] Strahan;T[homas] Cadell, […]; and J. Balfour, […],→OCLC,page87:
      No gentleman would appear in the field but on horſeback. To ſerve in any other manner he would have deemed derogatory to his rank. The cavalry, by way of distinction, was calledThebattle, and on it alone depended the fate of every action. The infantry, collected from the dregs and refuſe of the people, ill armed and worſe diſciplined; was of no account.
    • 2000 August 8,George R[aymond] R[ichard] Martin, “Catelyn[Stark]”, inA Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire; 3), London:Voyager,→ISBN,page525:
      Once I link up with Lord Bolton and the Freys, I will have more than twelve thousand men. I mean to divide them into threebattles and start up the causeway a half-day apart.
  4. (military, obsolete) Themainbody of an army, as distinct from thevanguard andrear; thebattalia.
  5. (military)Clipping ofbattle buddy.
Derived terms
[edit]
Related terms
[edit]
Translations
[edit]
general action, fight, or encounter; a combat
struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life
(obsolete) a division of an army; a battalion
(obsolete) the main body, as distinct from the van and rear
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

[edit]

battle (third-person singular simple presentbattles,present participlebattling,simple past and past participlebattled)

  1. (intransitive) To join in battle; to contend in fight
    Scientists alwaysbattle over theories.
    She has beenbattling against cancer for years.
    • 1979 August, Michael Harris, “A line for all reasons: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway”, inRailway World, page415:
      Hard work is required from men and machines as I was to experience later when footplating Lambton No 5 on five bogiesbattling its way up Newtondale.
  2. (transitive) Tofight orstruggle; to enter into a battle with.
    She has beenbattling cancer for years.
Derived terms
[edit]
Related terms
[edit]
Translations
[edit]
(intransitive) to join in battle; to contend in fight
(transitive) to assail in battle; to fight
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Etymology 2

[edit]

From Early Modern Englishbatell, probably fromMiddle English*batel(“flourishing”), fromOld English*batol(“improving, tending to be good”), frombatian(“to get better, improve”) +-ol ( +‎-le).

Alternative forms

[edit]

Adjective

[edit]

battle (comparativemorebattle,superlativemostbattle)(obsolete except British, dialectal, chiefly Northern England, Scotland, agriculture)

  1. Ofgrass orpasture:nutritious tocattle orsheep;fattening,nourishing.
    Synonyms:(obsolete)batten,improving
    battle grass   battle pasture
  2. (by extension) Ofland (originallypastureland) orsoil:fertile,fruitful.
    Synonym:(obsolete)batten
    battle land   battle soil
Derived terms
[edit]

Verb

[edit]

battle (third-person singular simple presentbattles,present participlebattling,simple past and past participlebattled)(transitive, UK dialectal, chiefly Northern England, Scotland)

  1. Tofeed ornourish (someone or something).
  2. Torender (land,soil, etc.)fertile orfruitful.
    • 1670,J[ohn] R[ay], “Out of DoctourFullers Worthies of England, such as are Not Entred Already in the Catalogues. [Devonshire.]”, inA Collection of English Proverbs […], Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] John Hayes, printer to theUniversity, for W. Morden,→OCLC,page225:
      ToDevonſhire orDenſhire land. That is, to pare off the ſurface or top turf thereof, and to lay it upon heaps and burn it; vvhich aſhes are a marvelous improvement tobattle barren land, by reaſon of the fixt ſalt vvhich they contain.
Related terms
[edit]

Further reading

[edit]

Anagrams

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=battle&oldid=89517462"
Categories:
Hidden categories:
[8]ページ先頭
©2009-2026 Movatter.jp