skirmish
A brief battle between small groups, usually part of a longer or larger battle or war.
Other meanings
Any minor dispute.
“Three people were arrested after a skirmish in a bar.”
A type of outdoor military style game using paintball or similar weapons.
Synonyms
- brush
- clash
- encounter
Related words
- squirmish
Word history
From Italian "scaramuccia".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “skirmish” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.