Battle

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈbætÉ™l/
• US IPA: /ˈbæɾlÌ©/
• Rhymes: -ætÉ™l
• Hyphenation: bat + tle

From Early Modern English batell, probably from Middle English *batel ("flourishing"), from Old English *batol ("improving, tending to be good"), from batian ("to get better, improve"), from Proto-Germanic *batjaną, *bōtijaną ("to improve, atone, be favourable"), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰAd- ("good") + -le. Related to North Frisian bate, baatsje ("to get better"), Dutch baten ("to benefit, avail, profit"), Low German batten ("to be sly"). Compare batten ("to improve, become better, fatten, flourish"). More at better.

Alternative forms

• battil, battill, battel, baittle, bettle, batwell

Full definition of battle

Adjective

1. (UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland, Northern England, agriculture) Improving; nutritious; fattening.battle grass, battle pasture
2. (UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland, Northern England) Fertile; fruitful.battle soil, battle land

Derived terms

• overbattle

Verb

1. (transitive, UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland, Northern England) To nourish; feed.
2. (transitive, UK dialectal, chiefly Scotland, Northern England) To render fertile or fruitful, as in soil.
3. To fight or struggle against something.She has been battling against cancer for years.

Derived terms

• battle it out
• battling

Related terms

• batful
• batten

From Middle English batel, from Old French bataille, from Vulgar Latin *battālia, from Late Latin battuālia ("fighting and fencing exercises"), from Latin battuō ("to strike, beat"), from Gaulish (compare Welsh bathu ("to strike money, coin, mint")), from Proto-Indo-European *bhau(t)- ("to knock") (compare Latin fatuus ("silly, knocked silly"), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌸𐍃 (bauþs, "deaf, numb, dumbstruck")).

Displaced native Old English hild ("battle"), Old English beadu ("battle, war").

Alternative forms

• batail 14th - 16th centuries

Noun

1. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat.
2. A struggle; a contest.
   the battle of life
• unknown date Henry Morley:The whole intellectual battle that had at its centre the best poem of the best poet of that day.
• 2011, November 3, Chris Bevan, Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 TottenhamIn 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.
3. (now rare) A division of an army; a battalion.
• 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book II:Thenne kyng Arthur made redy his hoost in x batails ....
• unknown date Francis Bacon:The king divided his army into three battles.
• unknown date William Robertson (historian):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.’
4. (obsolete) The main body, as distinct from the vanguard and rear; battalia.

Synonyms

• conflict
• encounter
• contest
• action

Derived terms

Verb

1. (intransitive) To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories.
2. (transitive) To assail in battle; to fight.

Anagrams

• batlet
• tablet