Pronunciation: /ˈskɜrmɪʃ/

Definitions of skirmish

noun a brief and usually unplanned fight during a war or battle

Example Sentences

A1 The children had a playful skirmish over the last cookie.

A2 The two rival gangs engaged in a skirmish near the border.

B1 The political parties were involved in a skirmish over the new law.

B2 The soldiers were prepared for a skirmish with the enemy forces.

C1 The skirmish between the protesters and the police escalated quickly.

C2 The skirmish between the two countries led to a full-scale war.

verb to engage in a skirmish

Example Sentences

A1 The kids skirmished over who got to go first on the slide.

A2 The two teams skirmished for control of the ball during the soccer match.

B1 The protesters skirmished with the police during the demonstration.

B2 The rival gangs skirmished over territory in the city.

C1 The two countries skirmished over trade agreements in the latest negotiations.

C2 The political parties skirmished over policy decisions in parliament.

Examples of skirmish in a Sentence

formal The two armies engaged in a brief skirmish before retreating.

informal There was a little skirmish between the kids over who gets to play with the toy first.

slang Things got heated and a skirmish broke out at the bar last night.

figurative The political debate turned into a skirmish of words between the candidates.

Grammatical Forms of skirmish

past tense

skirmished

plural

skirmishes

comparative

more skirmish

superlative

most skirmish

present tense

skirmish

future tense

will skirmish

perfect tense

have skirmished

continuous tense

is skirmishing

singular

skirmish

positive degree

skirmish

infinitive

to skirmish

gerund

skirmishing

participle

skirmishing

Origin and Evolution of skirmish

First Known Use: 1300 year
Language of Origin: Old French
Story behind the word: The word 'skirmish' originated from the Old French word 'eskermir' meaning to fence or fight with a sword.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'skirmish' evolved to refer to a minor battle or conflict between small groups, often as a prelude to a larger engagement.