释义 |
war I. \ˈwȯ(ə)r, ˈwȯ(ə)\ noun (-s) Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English werre, warre, from Old North French werre, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German werra confusion, strife; akin to Old High German werran to confuse, Latin verrere to sweep, and perhaps to Greek errhein to go, go to ruin 1. a. (1) : a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between political units (as states or nations) < war cannot exist between two countries unless each of them has its own government — E.D.Dickinson > — see civil war, cold war, limited war; compare battle, riot (2) : a period of armed conflict between political units < the neighboring countries fought a war over the disputed territory > — sometimes used in plural < gone off to the wars > also : state of war 2 (3) : state of war 1b < hostilities were officially ended … though … the war was not yet officially over — F.A.Ogg & P.O.Ray > b. archaic : an engagement in a war : battle c. : the art, activity, profession, or science of military operations : the methods and principle of warfare d. (1) obsolete : weapons and equipment for war (2) archaic : soldiers armed and equipped for war e. : a conflict carried on by one or a few of the normal means of war or one field of military activity distinguished from other activities in a war < a naval war for control of trade routes > < integrating the conduct of the ground and air wars > 2. a. : a state of hostility, conflict, opposition, or antagonism between mental, physical, social, or other forces < these factions were more at war than were the two real political parties — Roy Lewis & Angus Maude > < the children would in all probability fare better in peace with one parent than in war with two — E.F.Melson > < making war on the periodic invasion of insects — Emery Neff > < his innate gentleness at war with his fierce sense of power — Robert Payne > b. : a struggle of any degree of intensity carried on between opposing forces (as desires, social groups, or physical forces) in a particular field or by a particular means or for a particular goal < a war against want and destitution and economic demoralization — F.D.Roosevelt > < price war > < a war of scurrilous pamphlets — V.L.Parrington > < a personal war against engulfment in the provincial pattern of conformity — Henry Cavendish > < class war > 3. : a card game for children in which the cards are turned up one by one, the highest takes the others, and a tie occasions a situation in which the next turn decides; also : the situation occasioned by a tie in the game of war II. intransitive verb (warred ; warred ; warring ; wars) Etymology: Middle English werrien, werren, warren, from werre war 1. : to make or wage war : carry on armed hostilities < nations … warred repeatedly against their victims and against one another — H.R.Isaacs > 2. : to be in active or vigorous conflict or contention especially during an extended period < the desire for life warred with his fear and hate of it — Douglas Stewart > < landowners and squatters warred for years over clouded titles — Julian Dana > Synonyms: see contend III. \ˈwȧr\ adverb (or adjective) Etymology: Middle English werre, war, from Old Norse verri, adjective, verr, adverb — more at worse chiefly Scotland : worse IV. transitive verb (warred ; warred ; warring ; wars) Etymology: Middle English warren, from war (III) Scotland : worst, overcome V. \ˈwȧr\ dialect past of be VI. abbreviation warrant |