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skirmish

noun
🔊/ˈskɜːmɪʃ/
🔊/ˈskɜːrmɪʃ/
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  1. a short fight between small groups of soldiers, etc., especially one that is not planned小规模战斗；小冲突；（尤指）遭遇战
    • Several people were killed in skirmishes during the night.夜间有几人在小冲突中丧生。
    Extra Examples
    • Minor skirmishes broke out all along the border.边界多处爆发了小规模战斗。
    • They were involved in a skirmish with rival fans.他们和对方球迷发生了冲突。
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • brief
    • little
    • minor
    • …
    skirmish + verb
    • break out
    • go on
    • happen
    • …
    preposition
    • in a/​the skirmish
    • skirmish between
    • skirmish over
    • …
    See full entry
  2. a short argument, especially between political opponents（尤指政治上对立双方的）小争执，小争论
    • a skirmish between the two party leaders两党领导人间的摩擦。
    • an opening skirmish in the protracted media battle ahead引发日后旷日持久的媒体战的第一次冲突
    Topics Opinion and argumentc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • brief
    • little
    • minor
    • …
    skirmish + verb
    • break out
    • go on
    • happen
    • …
    preposition
    • in a/​the skirmish
    • skirmish between
    • skirmish over
    • …
    See full entry
    3. Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb): from Old French eskirmiss-, lengthened stem of eskirmir, from a Germanic verb meaning ‘defend’.

skirmish

verb
🔊/ˈskɜːmɪʃ/
🔊/ˈskɜːrmɪʃ/
 [intransitive]
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they skirmish
🔊/ˈskɜːmɪʃ/
🔊/ˈskɜːrmɪʃ/
he / she / it skirmishes
🔊/ˈskɜːmɪʃɪz/
🔊/ˈskɜːrmɪʃɪz/
past simple skirmished
🔊/ˈskɜːmɪʃt/
🔊/ˈskɜːrmɪʃt/
past participle skirmished
🔊/ˈskɜːmɪʃt/
🔊/ˈskɜːrmɪʃt/
-ing form skirmishing
🔊/ˈskɜːmɪʃɪŋ/
🔊/ˈskɜːrmɪʃɪŋ/
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  1. to take part in a short fight or argument发生小规模战斗（或冲突、争执）
    • The patrol skirmished with the enemy for several hours.巡逻队与敌人打了数小时的遭遇战。
    Topics Opinion and argumentc2
    Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb): from Old French eskirmiss-, lengthened stem of eskirmir, from a Germanic verb meaning ‘defend’.