different between combat vs altercation

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French, from Old French combatre, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- (“with”) + battuere (“to beat, strike”).

Pronunciation

• Noun:
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /?k?m?bæt/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /?k?m?bæt/
• Verb:
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /?k?m?bæt/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /k?m?bæt/, /?k?m?bæt/
• Rhymes: -æt

Noun

combat (countable and uncountable, plural combats)

1. A battle, a fight (often one in which weapons are used).

   • "My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects; […]."
2. a struggle for victory

Derived terms

• combat pay
• combatant
• combative
• stage combat

Translations

Verb

combat (third-person singular simple present combats, present participle combatting or combating, simple past and past participle combatted or combated)

1. (transitive) To fight; to struggle against.

   It has proven very difficult to combat drug addiction.

2. (intransitive) To fight (with); to struggle for victory (against).
   • 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes

     To combat with a blind man I disdain.

Translations

Anagrams

• M.B. coat, tombac

Catalan

Etymology

From combatre, attested from 1490.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /kom?bat/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /kum?bat/
• Rhymes: -at

Noun

combat m (plural combats)

1. combat

Verb

combat

1. third-person singular present indicative form of combatre
2. second-person singular imperative form of combatre

References

Further reading

• “combat” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “combat” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “combat” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

From combattre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.ba/
• Homophone: combats

Noun

combat m (plural combats)

1. combat (hostile interaction)
2. (figuratively) combat (contest; competition)
3. (in the plural) battle; military combat

Derived terms

Verb

combat

1. third-person singular present indicative of combattre

Further reading

• “combat” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

combat m (plural combats)

1. (Jersey) combat

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kom?bat]

Verb

combat

1. first-person singular present indicative of combate
2. third-person plural present indicative of combate
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of combate

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French altercation.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?l.t??ke?.??n/
• (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?l.t??ke?.??n/
• Hyphenation: al?ter?ca?tion
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

altercation (countable and uncountable, plural altercations)

1. Heated or angry dispute

Synonyms

• dispute, wrangle

Related terms

• altercative

Translations

Anagrams

• relactation

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin altercatio

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al.t??.ka.sj??/
• Rhymes: -??
• Homophone: altercations

Noun

altercation f (plural altercations)

1. Altercation

Further reading

• “altercation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).