battle

CEFRB1

/ˈbætl̩/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A fight between people or groups.

  2. 02

    verb

    To try hard to achieve something difficult.

Examples

  • Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.

  • We can say that Japan was fighting a constant battle against hunger during the war.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • [ˈbæɾɫ̩]
  • [ˈbatʰɫ̩]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; a combat, an engagement.

  2. A contest, a struggle.

  3. A one-on-one competition in rapping or breakdance.

More examples

In context

  • We won the battle.

  • hovering aloofe in the fields he suffered Wyat his Van and main Battell (cutting off some of the Reare) to march undisturbed save with one shot, from Knights-Bridge to Charing Chrosse.

  • Scientists always battle over theories.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The soldiers prepared to blank the enemy at dawn in the valley.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English batel, batell, batelle, batayle, bataylle, borrowed from Old French bataille, from Late Latin battālia, variant of battuālia (“fighting and fencing exercises”) from Latin battuō (“to strike, hit, beat, fight”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from a Gaulish or Proto-Germanic root from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to stab, dig”), related to Old English beado (“battle”); or possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to hit, strike, beat”). Doublet of battalia and battel. Displaced native Old English ġefeoht, beado, camp, and wīg (“battle”), among others.