battle

bat·tle  (btl)

n.

1.

a. An encounter between opposing forces: an important battle in the Pacific campaign.

b. Armed fighting; combat: wounded in battle.

2. A match between two combatants: trial by battle.

3.

a. A protracted controversy or struggle: won the battle of the budget.

b. An intense competition: a battle of wits.

v. bat·tled, bat·tling, bat·tles

v.intr.

To engage in or as if in battle.

v.tr.

To fight against: battled the enemy; battled cancer.

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[Middle English batel, from Old French bataille, from Vulgar Latin *battlia, from Late Latin battulia, fighting and fencing exercises, from Latin battuere, to beat.]

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battler n.

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battle

Noun

1. a fight between large armed forces

2. conflict or struggle

Verb

[-tling, -tled]

1. to fight in or as if in military combat: shop stewards battling to improve conditions at work

2. to struggle: she battled through the crowd [Latin battuere to beat]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	battle - 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" engagement, fight, conflict military action, action - a military engagement; "he saw action in Korea" Armageddon - any catastrophically destructive battle; "they called the first World War an Armageddon" pitched battle - a fierce battle fought in close combat between troops in predetermined positions at a chosen time and place naval battle - a pitched battle between naval fleets armed combat, combat - an engagement fought between two military forces war, warfare - the waging of armed conflict against an enemy; "thousands of people were killed in the war" dogfight - an aerial engagement between fighter planes assault - close fighting during the culmination of a military attack armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"
	2.	battle - an energetic attempt to achieve something; "getting through the crowd was a real struggle"; "he fought a battle for recognition" struggle attempt, effort, try, endeavor, endeavour - earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" duel - any struggle between two skillful opponents (individuals or groups) scramble, scuffle - an unceremonious and disorganized struggle joust, tilt - a combat between two mounted knights tilting against each other with blunted lances
	3.	battle - 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" conflict, struggle class struggle, class war, class warfare - conflict between social or economic classes (especially between the capitalist and proletariat classes) insurrection, revolt, uprising, rising, rebellion - organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another counterinsurgency, pacification - actions taken by a government to defeat insurgency group action - action taken by a group of people strife - bitter conflict; heated often violent dissension tug-of-war - any hard struggle between equally matched groups turf war - a bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights; "a turf war erupted between street gangs"; "the president's resignation was the result of a turf war with the board of directors" fighting, combat, fight, scrap - the act of fighting; any contest or struggle; "a fight broke out at the hockey game"; "there was fighting in the streets"; "the unhappy couple got into a terrible scrap" feud - a bitter quarrel between two parties warfare, war - an active struggle between competing entities; "a price war"; "a war of wits"; "diplomatic warfare"
Verb	1.	battle - battle or contend against in or as if in a battle; "The Kurds are combating Iraqi troops in Northern Iraq"; "We must combat the prejudices against other races"; "they battled over the budget" combat fight, struggle, contend - be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight; "the tribesmen fought each other"; "Siblings are always fighting"; "Militant groups are contending for control of the country" dogfight - engage in an aerial battle with another fighter plane wrestle - combat to overcome an opposing tendency or force; "He wrestled all his life with his feeling of inferiority"

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battle

noun 1. fight, war, attack, action, struggle, conflict, clash, set-to (informal) encounter, combat, scrap (informal) biffo Austral. (slang) engagement, warfare, fray, duel, skirmish, head-to-head, tussle, scuffle, fracas, scrimmage, sparring match, bagarre (French) melee or mêlée, boilover Austral. << OPPOSITE peace

noun 2. conflict, campaign, struggle, debate, clash, dispute, contest, controversy, disagreement, crusade, strife, head-to-head, agitation

noun 3. campaign, drive, movement, push, struggle

verb 4. wrestle, war, fight, argue, dispute, contest, combat, contend, feud, grapple, agitate, clamour, scuffle, lock horns

verb 5. struggle, work, labour, strain, strive, go for it (informal) toil, make every effort, go all out (informal) bend over backwards (informal) go for broke (slang) bust a gut (informal) give it your best shot (informal) break your neck (informal) exert yourself, make an all-out effort (informal) work like a Trojan, knock yourself out (informal) do your damnedest (informal) give it your all (informal) rupture yourself (informal)

Translations

battle [ˈbætl] n → batalla;

(fig) → lucha

vi → luchar;

that's half the battle (col) → ya hay medio camino andado;

to fight a losing battle (fig) → luchar por una causa perdida

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battle [ˈbætl] n → bataille f, combat m

vi → se battre, lutter;

that's half the battle (fig) → c'est déjà bien;

it's a or we're fighting a losing battle (fig) → c'est perdu d'avance, c'est peine perdue

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battle [ˈbætl] n (Mil) → Schlacht f (fig); Kampf m

vi → kämpfen;

that's half the battle → damit ist schon viel gewonnen;

it's a losing battle, we're fighting a losing battle (fig) → es ist ein aussichtsloser Kampf

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battle [ˈbætl] n → battaglia

vi → battagliare, lottare;

to fight a losing battle (fig) → battersi per una causa persa;

that's half the battle (col) → è già una mezza vittoria