Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Skirmish
Skir′mish
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Skirmished
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Skirmishing
.] [OE.
skirmishen
, scarmishen
, OF. escremir
, eskermir
, to fence, fight, F. escrimer
, of German origin; cf. OHG. scirmen
to protect, defend, G. schirmen
, OHG. scirm
, scerm
, protection, shield, G. schirm
; perhaps akin to Gr. [GREEK][GREEK][GREEK][GREEK] a sunshade. Cf. Scaramouch
, Scrimmage
.] To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.
1.
A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops.
2.
A slight contest.
They never meet but there’s a
skirmish
of wit. Shakespeare
Webster 1828 Edition
Skirmish
SKIRMISH
, n.1.
A slight fight in war; a light combat by armies at a great distance from each other, or between detachments and small parties.2.
A contest; a contention.They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit.