Combat vs Affray - What's the difference?

As nouns the difference between combat and affray

is that combat is a battle, a fight (often one in which weapons are used); a struggle for victory while affray is the act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack.

As verbs the difference between combat and affray

is that combat is to fight with; to struggle for victory against while affray is to startle from quiet; to alarm.

combat

English

(wikipedia combat)

Noun

A battle, a fight (often one in which weapons are used); a struggle for victory.

*:"My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat : "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects;."

*{{quote-magazine, date=2012-03, author=William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter

, volume=100, issue=2, page=87, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= The British Longitude Act Reconsidered , passage=Conditions were horrendous aboard most British naval vessels at the time. Scurvy and other diseases ran rampant, killing more seamen each year than all other causes combined, including combat .}}

Derived terms

* combat pay

Verb

To fight with; to struggle for victory against.

* Milton

To combat with a blind man I disdain.

Anagrams

* ----

affray

English

Noun

(en noun)

The act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack.

A tumultuous assault or quarrel.

The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.

The affray in the busy marketplace caused great terror and disorder.

Synonyms

* fray, brawl. * alarm, terror, fright.

Verb

(en verb)

To startle from quiet; to alarm.

* Chaucer

Smale foules a great heap / That had afrayed [affrayed] me out of my sleep.

To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

* Shakespeare

That voice doth us affray .