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. ]
The whole intellectual battle that had at its center the best poem of the best poet of that day. H. Morley. [ 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 ]
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Battle piece,
Battle royal.
Drawn battle,
To give battle,
To join battle,
Pitched battle,
Wager of battle.
v. i.
To meet in arms, and battle in the plain. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To assail in battle; to fight. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Fertile. See Battel, a. [ Obs. ] [ 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. ]
n. same as battledoor.
n. a region where a battle is fought.
n. the line along which opposing armies face each other.
n. a region where a battle is fought; same as battlefield.
a. Experienced in combat, and therefore more effective at fighting; -- used mostly of infantry troops;
n. [ OE. batelment; cf. OF. bataillement combat, fr. batailler, also OF. bastillier, bateillier, to fortify. Cf. Battle, n., Bastile, Bastion. ] (Arch.)
a. Having battlements. [ 1913 Webster ]
A battlemented portal. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]
. (Mil.) The range within which the fire of small arms is very destructive. With the magazine rifle, this is six hundred yards. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
. (Nav.) [ shortened from line-of-battle ship, i.e. the most heavily armored ship suited to be in the front line of a naval battle. ] An armor-plated warship built of steel and heavily armed, generally having over ten thousand tons displacement, and intended to be fit to combat the heaviest enemy ships in line of battle; the most heavily armed and armored class of warship at any given time. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]
v. i. To be arrayed for battle. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
One in bright arms embattled full strong. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world. Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. [ See Battlement. ] To furnish with battlements. “Embattled house.” Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]
a.
n.
a. Embattled. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ Over + battle, a. ] Excessively fertile; bearing rank or noxious growths. [ Obs. ] “Overbattle grounds.” Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]