skirmish

Study(4)

UK /ˈskɜːmɪʃ/ US /ˈskɝmɪʃ/

noun 3verb 1

Collocations

(noun.)

ADJ

little, minor | border

SKIRMISH + VERB

break out, take place

Several small skirmishes took place between the two groups during the protest.

PREP

in a/the ~

The soldiers suffered several injuries in a skirmish near the village.

~ between

There was a brief skirmish between the two groups of protesters at the border.

~ over

The two groups had a brief skirmish over who should control the community garden.

~ with

The two groups had a brief skirmish with each other at the border.

Definitions

noun

A brief battle between small groups, usually part of a longer or larger battle or war.

On 2 March, Chinese border guards with the help of regular PLA forces skillfully ambushed Strelnikov's unit on the ice near Chen Pao, killing him and 30 Soviets in the subsequent skirmish.

The walls are slitted with embrasures through which bowmen could fire, indicating that the belfry also served as a stronghold during border skirmishes.

Any minor dispute.

Three people were arrested after a skirmish in a bar.

Fires which have heretofore been one‐alarm skirmishes are now multialarm small wars.

A type of outdoor military style game using paintball or similar weapons.

verb

To engage in a minor battle or dispute.

The deer and the pig and the nilghai were milling round and round in a circle of eight or ten miles radius, while the Eaters of Flesh skirmished round its edge.

Other historians might also remark that […] they have persisted all this time, constantly wrestling and skirmishing and yet never destroying themselves.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — a minor short-term fight

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

On 2 March, Chinese border guards with the help of regular PLA forces skillfully ambushed Strelnikov's unit on the ice near Chen Pao, killing him and 30 Soviets in the subsequent skirmish.

Wiktionary

The walls are slitted with embrasures through which bowmen could fire, indicating that the belfry also served as a stronghold during border skirmishes.

Wiktionary

Three people were arrested after a skirmish in a bar.

Wiktionary

The deer and the pig and the nilghai were milling round and round in a circle of eight or ten miles radius, while the Eaters of Flesh skirmished round its edge.

Wiktionary

Other historians might also remark that […] they have persisted all this time, constantly wrestling and skirmishing and yet never destroying themselves.

Wiktionary

He was involved in a skirmish with a violent gang.

Tatoeba · #4931764

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, skirmish is marked as figuratively. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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