War

Definition of War

a.1.Ware; aware.
n.1.
1.A contest between nations or states, carried on by force, whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition of territory, for obtaining and establishing the superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers; declared and open hostilities.
Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed.
- F. W. Robertson.
2.(Law) A condition of belligerency to be maintained by physical force. In this sense, levying war against the sovereign authority is treason.
3.Instruments of war.
His complement of stores, and total war.
- Prior.
4.Forces; army.
On their embattled ranks the waves return,
And overwhelm their war.
- Milton.
5.The profession of arms; the art of war.
Thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth.
- 1 Sam. xvii. 33.
6.a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart.
- Ps. lv. 21.
Civil war
a war between different sections or parties of the same country or nation.
Holy war
See under Holy.
Man of war
(Naut.) See in the Vocabulary.
Public war
a war between independent sovereign states.
War cry
a cry or signal used in war; as, the Indian war cry.
War dance
a dance among savages preliminary to going to war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike excursion.
War field
a field of war or battle.
- Schoolcraft.
War horse
a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse for military service; a charger.
War paint
paint put on the face and other parts of the body by savages, as a token of going to war.
War song
a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among the American Indians, a song at the war dance, full of incitements to military ardor.
- Longfellow.
War whoop
a war cry, especially that uttered by the American Indians.
v. i.1.To make war; to invade or attack a state or nation with force of arms; to carry on hostilities; to be in a state by violence.
[imp. & p. p. Warred ; p. pr. & vb. n. Warring.]
Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it.
- Isa. vii. 1.
Why should I war without the walls of Troy?
- Shak.
Our countrymen were warring on that day!
- Byron.
2.To contend; to strive violently; to fight.
v. t.1.To make war upon; to fight.
To war the Scot, and borders to defend.
- Daniel.
2.To carry on, as a contest; to wage.
That thou . . . mightest war a good warfare.
- Tim. i. 18.

Related Words

American Revolution, Ares, Athena, Balkan Wars, Bellona, Boer War, Civil War, Crimean War, Crusades, Enyo, Franco-Prussian War, French Revolution, Gallic Wars, Greco-Persian Wars, Indian Wars, Indochina War, Kilkenny cats, Korean War, Mars, Mexican War, Minerva, Napoleonic Wars, Odin, Peloponnesian Wars, Persian Wars, Punic Wars, Russian Revolution, Russo-Japanese War, Sino-Japanese War, Six Day War, Southeast Asian War, Tiu, Tyr, Vietnam War, Woden, World War I, Wotan, all-out war, altercation, appeal to arms, argument, armed combat, armed conflict, arms, art of war, attack, attempt, belligerence, belligerency, bickering, bloodshed, box, brawl, broil, campaign, carry on hostilities, cat-and-dog life, challenge, chivalry, clash, close, collide, come to blows, conflict, contend, contention, contentiousness, contest, contestation, controversy, crusade, cut and thrust, debate, disputation, dispute, drive, duel, endeavor, engage, engage in hostilities, enmity, essay, exchange blows, expedition, fence, feud, fight a duel, fighting, generalship, give and take, give satisfaction, grapple, grapple with, holy war, hostility, hot war, jihad, jostle, joust, knighthood, la guerre, litigation, logomachy, make war, might of arms, military operations, mix it up, open hostilities, open war, oppugn, paper war, polemic, quarrel, quarreling, quarrelsomeness, rassle, resort to arms, riot, run a tilt, scramble, scrapping, scuffle, shed blood, shooting war, skirmish, spar, spill blood, squabbling, state of war, strive, struggle, take on, the sword, thrust and parry, tilt, total war, tourney, tug, tussle, wage war, war of words, warfare, warmaking, warring, wartime, words, wrangling, wrestle
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