skirmish — a minor fight or battle, especially between small groups
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a minor fight or battle, especially between small groups
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈskɜːrmɪʃ/
Example Sentences
- The food court skirmish started when someone cut in the pizza line.
- What began as a Twitter skirmish escalated into a full-blown online war.
- The siblings' skirmish over the TV remote lasted three hours.
skirmish
NOUN[/ˈskɜːrmɪʃ/]
a minor fight or battle, especially between small groups
Two scouts had a brief skirmish near the forest edge before retreating.
After the skirmish, only one blemish remains
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle Dutch 'schermissen' meaning 'to fence or skirmish,' derived from 'scherme' (fence/shield). The word entered English in the 16th century through military terminology.
Breakdown
skir- (uncertain origin, possibly from Dutch scherme meaning fence/shield) + -mish (suffix forming verbs) = skirmish
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The food court skirmish started when someone cut in the pizza line.”
“What began as a Twitter skirmish escalated into a full-blown online war.”
“The siblings' skirmish over the TV remote lasted three hours.”
“Military analysts reported several skirmishes near the disputed territory.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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