| Skirmish | v. 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. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_; a sunshade. Cf. Scaramouch, Scrimmage. ] To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Skirmish | n.[ OE. scarmishe, scrymishe. See Skirmish, v. i. ] 1. A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A slight contest. [ 1913 Webster ] They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] |
