[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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.
      1913 webster

   2. a slight contest.
      1913 webster

            they never meet but there's a skirmish of wit.
                                                  --shak.
      1913 webster
see also:
skirmish 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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.
   1913 webster
see also:
skirmished skirmishing scaramouch scrimmage 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

skirmish
     n : a minor short-term fight syn: brush, clash, encounter
     v : engage in a skirmish
see also:
brush clash encounter 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

83 moby thesaurus words for "skirmish":
   action, aerial combat, affray, ambush, armored combat, assault,
   attack, battle, battle royal, box, brawl, broil, brush, bullfight,
   clash, clash of arms, close, cockfight, collide, combat,
   come to blows, conflict, confrontation, contend, contest,
   cut and thrust, dogfight, duel, embroilment, encounter, engagement,
   exchange blows, exchange of blows, fence, feud, fight,
   fight a duel, fire fight, fracas, fray, give and take,
   give satisfaction, grapple, grapple with, ground combat,
   hand-to-hand combat, hand-to-hand fight, house-to-house combat,
   jostle, joust, melee, mix it up, naval combat, passage of arms,
   pitched battle, quarrel, rassle, riot, rumble, run a tilt, run-in,
   running fight, scramble, scrap, scrimmage, scuffle, set-to,
   shoving match, showdown, spar, stand-up fight, street fight,
   strive, struggle, tauromachy, thrust and parry, tilt, tourney,
   tug-of-war, tussle, wage war, war, wrestle

Skirmish >> S Words
Skirmish, definition of term: Skirmish
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