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noun a minor short-term fight
encounter; brush; clash.
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verb engage in a skirmish
WordNet
Skir"mish intransitive verb
Etymology
OE.
skirmishen,
scarmishen, OF.
escremir,
eskermir, to fence, fight, F.
escrimer, of German origin; cf. OHG.
scirmen to protect, defend, G.
schirmen, OHG.
scirm,
scerm, protection, shield, G.
schirm; perhaps akin to Gr. a sunshade. Cf.
Scaramouch,
Scrimmage.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Skirmished ; present participle & verbal noun Skirmishing
Definitions
- To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.
Skir"mish noun
Etymology
OE.
scarmishe,
scrymishe. See
Skirmish,
v. i.
Definitions
- A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops.
- A slight contest.
They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit.
Shak.
Webster 1913
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