Skirmish
['skɜːmɪʃ] or ['skɝmɪʃ]
Definition
(v. i.) To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.
(v. i.) A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops.
(v. i.) A slight contest.
Checker: McDonald
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. Fight (of slight consequence), battle, collision, conflict, combat, brush, affair.
Editor: Melinda
Definition
n. an irregular fight between two small parties: a contest.—v.i. to fight slightly or irregularly.—ns. Skir′misher a soldier belonging to troops dispersed to cover front or flank and prevent surprises; Skir′mishing.
Typist: Paul
Examples
- A good skirmish line preceded each of these columns. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- They take with them a quantity of food, and when the commissary department fails they skirmish, as Jack terms it in his sinful, slangy way. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- The bridge was seized by Gross's brigade after a slight skirmish with the pickets guarding it. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- You may skirmish with Miss Dartle, or try to hide your sympathies in jest from me, but I know better. Charles Dickens. David Copperfield.
- This is Cedric's clown, who fought so manful a skirmish with Isaac of York about a question of precedence. Walter Scott. Ivanhoe.
- Crocker moved his division forward, preceded by a strong skirmish line. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- A severe skirmish ensued, in which we lost about two hundred and eighty in killed and wounded. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- After several severe skirmishes, in which the enemy was defeated, General Steele reached Camden, which he occupied about the middle of April. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- Skirmishes of this sort passed perpetually during the little campaign--tedious to relate, and similar in result. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- We have had some skirmishes, but we had never set eyes upon each other before. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- Jo and Fred had several skirmishes and once narrowly escaped high words. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- But, in spite of such little skirmishes it is felt that this was to be a wondering dinner, and that the wondering must not be neglected. Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
- I have described very imperfectly a few of the battles and skirmishes that took place during this time. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- She and Amy had had many lively skirmishes in the course of their lives, for both had quick tempers and were apt to be violent when fairly roused. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- When I arrived Hovey's skirmishing amounted almost to a battle. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- Of course there was frequent skirmishing between pickets, but no serious battle was fought near either Petersburg or Richmond. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- By eleven o'clock the skirmishing had grown into a hard-contested battle. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- On the 27th there was skirmishing on the Hatchie River, eight miles from Bolivar. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- After some skirmishing on the 17th and 18th, General Hunter, owing to a want of ammunition to give battle, retired from before the place. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- Osterhaus was up, and after some sharp skirmishing the enemy was driven away with considerable loss in killed and captured. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- There was no fighting on the 13th, further than a little skirmishing between Mott's division and the enemy. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- But, here the Irrepressible skirmished into the conflict, dragging the reluctant form of Mr Sampson after her. Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
Editor: Nat