n. [ OE. bataille, bataile, F. bataille battle, OF., battle, battalion, fr. L. battalia, battualia, the fighting and fencing exercises of soldiers and gladiators, fr. batuere to strike, beat. Cf. Battalia, 1st Battel, and see Batter, v. t. ] 1. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life. [ 1913 Webster ]

The whole intellectual battle that had at its center the best poem of the best poet of that day. H. Morley. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A division of an army; a battalion. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The king divided his army into three battles. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The cavalry, by way of distinction, was called the battle, and on it alone depended the fate of every action. Robertson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The main body, as distinct from the van and rear; battalia. [ Obs. ] Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Battle is used adjectively or as the first part of a self-explaining compound; as, battle brand, a “brand” or sword used in battle; battle cry; battlefield; battle ground; battle array; battle song. [ 1913 Webster ]

Battle piece, a painting, or a musical composition, representing a battle. --
Battle royal. (a) A fight between several gamecocks, where the one that stands longest is the victor. Grose. (b) A contest with fists or cudgels in which more than two are engaged; a mêlée. Thackeray. --
Drawn battle, one in which neither party gains the victory. --
To give battle, to attack an enemy. --
To join battle, to meet the attack; to engage in battle. --
Pitched battle, one in which the armies are previously drawn up in form, with a regular disposition of the forces. --
Wager of battle. See under Wager, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Conflict; encounter; contest; action. Battle, Combat, Fight, Engagement. These words agree in denoting a close encounter between contending parties. Fight is a word of less dignity than the others. Except in poetry, it is more naturally applied to the encounter of a few individuals, and more commonly an accidental one; as, a street fight. A combat is a close encounter, whether between few or many, and is usually premeditated. A battle is commonly more general and prolonged. An engagement supposes large numbers on each side, engaged or intermingled in the conflict. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Fertile. See Battel, a. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Battled p. pr. & vb. n. Battling. ] [ F. batailler, fr. bataille. See Battle, n. ] To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories. [ 1913 Webster ]

To meet in arms, and battle in the plain. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To assail in battle; to fight. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. (Mil.) A kind of broadax formerly used as an offensive weapon. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. p. Embattled. [ Poetic ] Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. batyldour. A corrupted form of uncertain origin; cf. Sp. batallador a great combatant, he who has fought many battles, Pg. batalhador, Pr. batalhador, warrior, soldier, fr. L. battalia; or cf. Pr. batedor batlet, fr. batre to beat, fr. L. batuere. See Battle, n. ] 1. An instrument, with a handle and a flat part covered with parchment or crossed with catgut, used to strike a shuttlecock in play; also, the play of battledoor and shuttlecock. [ Also spelled battledore. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ OE. battleder. ] A child's hornbook. [ Obs. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. same as battledoor.
Syn. -- battledore and shuttlecock. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a region where a battle is fought.
Syn. -- battleground, field of battle, field. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the line along which opposing armies face each other.
Syn. -- front, front line. [ WordNet 1.5 #here ]