different between skirmish vs contest

English

Alternative forms

• scirmish

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Old French escarmouche (“skirmish”), from Italian scaramuccia, earlier schermugio.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?sk??m??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sk?m??/
• Hyphenation: skir?mish

Noun

skirmish (plural skirmishes)

1. (military) A brief battle between small groups, usually part of a longer or larger battle or war.
2. (figuratively, by extension) Any minor dispute.

3. A type of outdoor military style game using paintball or similar weapons.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:fight
• See also Thesaurus:dispute

Related terms

• screen

Translations

Verb

skirmish (third-person singular simple present skirmishes, present participle skirmishing, simple past and past participle skirmished)

1. To engage in a minor battle or dispute

Translations

English

Etymology

From French contester, from Old French, from Latin contestor (“to call to witness”).

Pronunciation

Noun

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k?n.t?st/
• (US) enPR: k?n't?st, IPA^(key): /?k?n.t?st/
• Rhymes: -?nt?st

Verb

• (UK, US) enPR: k?nt?st', IPA^(key): /k?n?t?st/
• Rhymes: -?st

Noun

contest (countable and uncountable, plural contests)

1. (uncountable) Controversy; debate.

   Synonyms: controversy, debate, discussion

2. (uncountable) Struggle for superiority; combat.

   Synonyms: battle, combat, fight

3. (countable) A competition.

   Synonyms: competition, pageant

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

contest (third-person singular simple present contests, present participle contesting, simple past and past participle contested)

1. (intransitive) To contend.

   Synonyms: compete, contend, go in for

   • 1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, Sacred Theory of the Earth

     As for the difficulty or obscurity of an argument, that does but add to the pleasure.of contesting with it when there are hopes of victory

2. (transitive) To call into question; to oppose.

   Synonyms: call into question, oppose

   Antonym: support

   • 1848, John Daniel Morell, Historical and Critical View of the Speculative Philosophy of Europe in the Nineteenth Century

     Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequently repeated, few more contested than this.

3. (transitive) To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend.

4. (law) To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist, as a claim, by course of law.

   Synonym: controvert

Translations

Anagrams

• Consett, Cottens