war \war\, n. oe.  as. werre; akin to ohg. werra scandal,
   quarrel, sedition, werran to confound, mix, d. warren, g.
   wirren, verwirren, to embroil, confound, disturb, and perhaps
   to e. worse; cf. of. werre war, f. querre, of teutonic
   origin. cf. guerrilla, warrior.
   1913 webster
   1. a contest between nations or states, carried on by force,
      whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing
      wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition
      of territory, for obtaining and establishing the
      superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any
      other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers;
      declared and open hostilities.
      1913 webster

            men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed.
                                                  --f. w.
                                                  robertson.
      1913 webster

   note: as war is the contest of nations or states, it always
         implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch
         or the sovereign power of the nation. a war begun by
         attacking another nation, is called an offensive war,
         and such attack is aggressive. war undertaken to repel
         invasion, or the attacks of an enemy, is called
         defensive.
         1913 webster

   2. law a condition of belligerency to be maintained by
      physical force. in this sense, levying war against the
      sovereign authority is treason.
      1913 webster

   3. instruments of war. poetic
      1913 webster

            his complement of stores, and total war. --prior.
      1913 webster

   4. forces; army. poetic
      1913 webster

            on their embattled ranks the waves return,
            and overwhelm their war.              --milton.
      1913 webster

   5. the profession of arms; the art of war.
      1913 webster

            thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from
            his youth.                            --1 sam. xvii.
                                                  33.
      1913 webster

   6. a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an
      inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility.
      "raised impious war in heaven." --milton.
      1913 webster

            the words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
            but war was in his heart.             --ps. lv. 21.
      1913 webster

   civil war, a war between different sections or parties of
      the same country or nation.

   holy war. see under holy.

   man of war. naut. see in the vocabulary.

   public war, a war between independent sovereign states.

   war cry, a cry or signal used in war; as, the indian war
      cry.

   war dance, a dance among savages preliminary to going to
      war. among the north american indians, it is begun by some
      distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby
      enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike
      excursion. --schoolcraft.

   war field, a field of war or battle.

   war horse, a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry
      soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse
      for military service; a charger.

   war paint, paint put on the face and other parts of the
      body by savages, as a token of going to war. "wash the war
      paint from your faces." --longfellow.

   war song, a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among
      the american indians, a song at the war dance, full of
      incitements to military ardor.

   war whoop, a war cry, especially that uttered by the
      american indians.
      1913 webster
see also:
guerrilla warrior civil war holy war holy man of war 
public war war cry war dance war field war horse 
war paint war song war whoop 

71 moby thesaurus words for "war horse":
   houyhnhnm, tammany man, beldam, brood mare, campaigner, charger,
   colt, courser, critter, crone, dame, dobbin, dowager, entire,
   entire horse, equine, filly, foal, frump, gelding, grandam,
   grandmother, granny, hag, horse, machine politician, mare, mount,
   nag, old battle-ax, old campaigner, old dame, old girl, old granny,
   old hand, old lady, old pro, old salt, old sea dog, old soldier,
   old trot, old wife, old woman, old-timer, party boss,
   party chieftain, party leader, pol, political hack,
   political leader, politician, prancer, professional politician,
   reform politician, reformer, salt, seasoned veteran, shellback,
   stallion, steed, stud, studhorse, tarpan, top horse, trooper, trot,
   vet, veteran, wheelhorse, wild horse, witch