释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024skir•mish /ˈskɜrmɪʃ/USA pronunciation n. [countable]- Militarya fight between small bodies of troops.
- any brisk and usually quick argument:The opposing candidates had quite a few skirmishes during the election year.
v. [no object] - to be or fight in a skirmish:troops skirmishing before the main battle.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024skir•mish (skûr′mish),USA pronunciation n. - Militarya fight between small bodies of troops, esp. advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies.
- any brisk conflict or encounter:She had a skirmish with her landlord about the rent.
v.i. - to engage in a skirmish.
- Old French escar(a)mucher to skirmish; vowels influenced by Old French eskirmiss-
- Old French escaramoucher (see Scaramouch); (verb, verbal) late Middle English scarmuchen, scarmusshen to skirmish, Middle English skirmisshen to brandish a weapon
- Gmc (compare Old High German skirman); replacing Middle English scarmouche
- Old French eskirmiss-, long stem of eskirmir
- (noun, nominal) Middle English skirmysshe 1300–50
skir′mish•er, n. - 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged combat, brush. See battle 1.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: skirmish /ˈskɜːmɪʃ/ n - a minor short-lived military engagement
- any brisk clash or encounter, usually of a minor nature
vb - (intransitive) often followed by with: to engage in a skirmish
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French eskirmir, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German skirmen to defendˈskirmisher n |