skirmish : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: skirmish	by the DICT Development Group
3 results for skirmish
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
skirmish n a minor short-term fight [syn: brush, clash, encounter, skirmish] v engage in a skirmish
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Skirmish \Skir"mish\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Skirmished}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Skirmishing}.] [OE. skirmishen, scarmishen, OF. escremir, eskermir, to fence, fight, F. escrimer, of German origin; cf. OHG. scirmen to protect, defend, G. schirmen, OHG. scirm, scerm, protection, shield, G. schirm; perhaps akin to Gr. [?][?][?][?] a sunshade. Cf. {Scaramouch}, {Scrimmage}.] To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Skirmish \Skir"mish\, n.[OE. scarmishe, scrymishe. See {Skirmish}, v. i.] 1. A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops. 2. A slight contest. They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit. --Shak.