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What is the difference between battle and fight?

battle | fight |

Fight is a synonym of battle.



In obsolete terms the difference between battle and fight

is that battle is the main body, as distinct from the vanguard and rear; battalia while fight is a screen for the combatants in ships.

In intransitive terms the difference between battle and fight

is that battle is to join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories while fight is to strive for; to campaign or contend for success.

In transitive terms the difference between battle and fight

is that battle is to assail in battle; to fight or struggle while fight is to try to overpower; to fiercely counteract.

As verbs the difference between battle and fight

is that battle is to nourish; feed while fight is to contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle etc.

As nouns the difference between battle and fight

is that battle is a general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat while fight is an occasion of fighting.

As an adjective battle

is improving; nutritious; fattening.

As a proper noun Battle

is {{surname|habitational|from=Middle English}} from places in England that have been sites of a battle.

battle

English

Etymology 1

From Early Modern English .

Alternative forms

*

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Improving; nutritious; fattening.
  • battle''' grass'', '''''battle pasture
  • Fertile; fruitful.
  • battle''' soil'', '''''battle land
    Derived terms
    *

    Verb

    (battl)
  • To nourish; feed.
  • To render fertile or fruitful, as in soil.
  • Derived terms
    * (l) *

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) (m), from ). Displaced native (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * batail

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat.
  • A struggle; a contest.
  • :
  • *(rfdate) (Henry Morley) (1822-1894):
  • *:The whole intellectual battle that had at its centre the best poem of the best poet of that day.
  • *
  • *:In truth, Tottenham never really looked like taking all three points and this defeat means they face a battle to reach the knockout stages—with their next home game against PAOK Salonika on 30 November likely to prove decisive.
  • *2012', Clive James 'near the end' in cancer ' battle , ITV News, 21 June 2012:
  • *:Australian broadcaster Clive James has admitted that he is losing his long-fought battle with leukaemia.
  • A division of an army; a battalion.
  • *:
  • *:THenne kyng Arthur made redy his hoost in x batails' and Nero was redy in the felde afore the castel Tarabil with a grete hoost / & he had x ' batails with many mo peple than Arthur had
  • *(rfdate) (Francis Bacon) (1561-1626):
  • *:The king divided his army into three battles .
  • *(rfdate) (1721-1793):
  • *:The cavalry, by way of distinction, was called the battle , and on it alone depended the fate of every action.
  • *2000 , (George RR Martin), A Storm of Swords , Bantam 2011, page 634:
  • *:‘I will have more than twelve thousand men. I mean to divide them into three battles and start up the causeway a half-day apart.’
  • (label) The main body, as distinct from the vanguard and rear; battalia.
  • :(Hayward)
  • Synonyms
    * conflict * encounter * contest * action
    Derived terms
    * battlearray * battlefield * battleground / battle ground * battle of the sexes * battle piece * battle royal * battle song * do battle * drawn battle * fight a losing battle * give battle * join battle * pitched battle * wager of battle

    Verb

    (battl)
  • To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories.
  • She has been battling against cancer for years .
  • To assail in battle; to fight or struggle.
  • She has been battling cancer for years .

    References

    *

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * *

    fight

    English

    Verb

  • (label) To contend in physical conflict, either singly or in war, battle etc.
  • (label) To strive for; to campaign or contend for success.
  • * , chapter=7
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=Old Applegate, in the stern, just set and looked at me, and Lord James, amidship, waved both arms and kept hollering for help. I took a couple of everlasting big strokes and managed to grab hold of the skiff's rail, close to the stern. Then, for a jiffy, I hung on and fought for breath.}}
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2014-07-05, volume=412, issue=8894, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Freedom fighter , passage=[Edmund] Burke continued to fight for liberty later on in life. He backed Americans in their campaign for freedom from British taxation. He supported Catholic freedoms and freer trade with Ireland, in spite of his constituents’ ire. He wanted more liberal laws on the punishment of debtors.}}
  • (label) To conduct or engage in (battle, warfare etc.).
  • * (1800-1859)
  • He had to fight his way through the world.
  • * Bible, iv. 7
  • I have fought a good fight.
  • (label) To engage in combat with; to oppose physically, to contest with.
  • (label) To try to overpower; to fiercely counteract.
  • To cause to fight; to manage or manoeuvre in a fight.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * fight a losing battle * fight back * fight fire with fire * fightest * fight shy of * fight the good fight * fight tooth and nail

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An occasion of fighting.
  • (archaic) A battle between opposing armies.
  • A physical confrontation or combat between two or more people or groups.
  • (sports) A boxing or martial arts match.
  • A conflict, possibly nonphysical, with opposing ideas or forces; strife.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=18 citation , passage=‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= A new prescription , passage=As the world's drug habit shows, governments are failing in their quest to monitor every London window-box and Andean hillside for banned plants. But even that Sisyphean task looks easy next to the fight against synthetic drugs.}}
  • The will or ability to fight.
  • (obsolete) A screen for the combatants in ships.
  • * Dryden
  • Up with your fights , and your nettings prepare.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * bullfight * bun fight * cockfight * dogfight * fight or flight * fighter * fighting * fight scene * fight the good fight * fist fight * food fight * footfight * gunfight * pillow fight * prize fight * straight fight * sword fight * thumb fight