1. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition of territory, for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers; declared and open hostilities. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed. F. W. Robertson. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ As war is the contest of nations or states, it always implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch or the sovereign power of the nation. A war begun by attacking another nation, is called an offensive war, and such attack is aggressive. War undertaken to repel invasion, or the attacks of an enemy, is called defensive. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A condition of belligerency to be maintained by physical force. In this sense, levying war against the sovereign authority is treason. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Instruments of war. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His complement of stores, and total war. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Forces; army. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

On their embattled ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The profession of arms; the art of war. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth. 1 Sam. xvii. 33. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility. “Raised impious war in heaven.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. Ps. lv. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

Civil war, a war between different sections or parties of the same country or nation. --
Holy war. See under Holy. --
Man of war. (Naut.) See in the Vocabulary. --
Public war, a war between independent sovereign states. --
War cry, a cry or signal used in war; as, the Indian war cry. --
War dance, a dance among savages preliminary to going to war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike excursion. Schoolcraft. --
War field, a field of war or battle. --
War horse, a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse for military service; a charger. --
War paint, paint put on the face and other parts of the body by savages, as a token of going to war. “Wash the war paint from your faces.” Longfellow. --
War song, a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among the American Indians, a song at the war dance, full of incitements to military ardor. --
War whoop, a war cry, especially that uttered by the American Indians. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it. Isa. vii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

Why should I war without the walls of Troy? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our countrymen were warring on that day! Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To contend; to strive violently; to fight. “Lusts which war against the soul.” 1 Pet. ii. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

To war the Scot, and borders to defend. Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To carry on, as a contest; to wage. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That thou . . . mightest war a good warfare. Tim. i. 18. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Far.) (a) A small, hard tumor which is produced on the back of a horse by the heat or pressure of the saddle in traveling. (b) A small tumor produced by the larvae of the gadfly in the backs of horses, cattle, etc. Called also warblet, warbeetle, warnles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) See Wormil. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To sing in a trilling, quavering, or vibratory manner; to modulate with turns or variations; to trill; as, certain birds are remarkable for warbling their songs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To utter musically; to modulate; to carol. [ 1913 Webster ]

If she be right invoked in warbled song. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Warbling sweet the nuptial lay. Trumbull. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To cause to quaver or vibrate. “And touch the warbled string.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such strains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To sing in a trilling manner, or with many turns and variations. “Birds on the branches warbling.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To sing with sudden changes from chest to head tones; to yodel. [ 1913 Webster ]

And he, the wondrous child,
Whose silver warble wild
Outvalued every pulsing sound. Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]

In lulling strains the feathered warblers woo. Tickell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small Old World singing birds belonging to the family Sylviidae, many of which are noted songsters. The bluethroat, blackcap, reed warbler (see under Reed), and sedge warbler (see under Sedge) are well-known species. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of small, often bright colored, American singing birds of the family or subfamily Mniotiltidae, or Sylvicolinae. They are allied to the Old World warblers, but most of them are not particularly musical. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The American warblers are often divided, according to their habits, into bush warblers, creeping warblers, fly-catching warblers, ground warblers, wood warblers, wormeating warblers, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bush warbler (Zool.) any American warbler of the genus Opornis, as the Connecticut warbler (Opornis agilis). --
Creeping warbler (Zool.), any one of several species of very small American warblers belonging to Parula, Mniotilta, and allied genera, as the blue yellow-backed warbler (Parula Americana), and the black-and-white creeper (Mniotilta varia). --
Fly-catching warbler (Zool.), any one of several species of warblers belonging to Setophaga, Sylvania, and allied genera having the bill hooked and notched at the tip, with strong rictal bristles at the base, as the hooded warbler (Sylvania mitrata), the black-capped warbler (Sylvania pusilla), the Canadian warbler (Sylvania Canadensis), and the American redstart (see Redstart). --
Ground warbler (Zool.), any American warbler of the genus Geothlypis, as the mourning ground warbler (Geothlypis Philadelphia), and the Maryland yellowthroat (see Yellowthroat). --
Wood warbler (Zool.), any one of numerous American warblers of the genus Dendroica. Among the most common wood warblers in the Eastern States are the yellowbird, or yellow warbler (see under Yellow), the black-throated green warbler (Dendroica virens), the yellow-rumped warbler (Dendroica coronata), the blackpoll (Dendroica striata), the bay-breasted warbler (Dendroica castanea), the chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica Pennsylvanica), the Cape May warbler (Dendroica tigrina), the prairie warbler (see under Prairie), and the pine warbler (Dendroica pinus). See also Magnolia warbler, under Magnolia, and Blackburnian warbler. [ 1913 Webster ]