Library / English Dictionary

COMBAT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: combatted    , combatting   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An engagement fought between two military forces

Synonyms:

armed combat; combat

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("combat" is a kind of...):

battle; conflict; engagement; fight (a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "combat"):

belligerency; hostilities (fighting; acts of overt warfare)

trench warfare (a type of armed combat in which the opposing troops fight from trenches that face each other)

aggression (the act of initiating hostilities)

Holonyms ("combat" is a part of...):

war; warfare (the waging of armed conflict against an enemy)

Derivation:

combat (battle or contend against in or as if in a battle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of fighting; any contest or struggle

Example:

the unhappy couple got into a terrible scrap

Synonyms:

combat; fight; fighting; scrap

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("combat" is a kind of...):

battle; conflict; struggle (an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals))

Meronyms (parts of "combat"):

blow (a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "combat"):

single combat (a fight between two people)

gang fight; rumble (a fight between rival gangs of adolescents)

cut-and-thrust; knife fight; snickersnee (fighting with knives)

brawl; free-for-all (a noisy fight in a crowd)

affray; disturbance; fray; ruffle (a noisy fight)

beating; whipping (the act of overcoming or outdoing)

banging; battering (the act of subjecting to strong attack)

fistfight; fisticuffs; slugfest (a fight with bare fists)

affaire d'honneur; duel (a prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor)

dogfight; hassle; rough-and-tumble; scuffle; tussle (disorderly fighting)

impact; shock (the violent interaction of individuals or groups entering into combat)

set-to (a brief but vigorous fight)

in-fighting (conflict between members of the same organization (usually concealed from outsiders))

fencing (the art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules))

dogfight (a violent fight between dogs (sometimes organized illegally for entertainment and gambling))

close-quarter fighting (hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters)

brush; clash; encounter; skirmish (a minor short-term fight)

gunfight; gunplay; shootout (a fight involving shooting small arms with the intent to kill or frighten)

Derivation:

combat (battle or contend against in or as if in a battle)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Battle or contend against in or as if in a battle

Example:

they battled over the budget

Synonyms:

battle; combat

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "combat" is one way to...):

contend; fight; struggle (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "combat"):

dogfight (engage in an aerial battle with another fighter plane)

wrestle (combat to overcome an opposing tendency or force)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

combat (an engagement fought between two military forces)

combat (the act of fighting; any contest or struggle)

combatant (someone who fights (or is fighting))

combatant (engaging in or ready for combat)

combative (having or showing a ready disposition to fight)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Researchers have continued to develop new types of antibiotics to combat MRSA infections, but resistance to many of these have already been reported.

(Antibiotic Combinations May Combat MRSA Infections, NIH)

"One theory is that you have more energy reserves to combat the illness. You're able to weather the storm better," he said.

(Mildly Obese Fare Better after Major Heart Attack, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Common ones include: • Problems with blood circulation. • Injuries, including from traffic accidents and military combat • Cancer • Birth defects

(Limb Loss, NIH)

I trembled with rage and horror, resolving to wait his approach and then close with him in mortal combat.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

In such combats, as well as in the more formal sports of the tilting-yard, Tranter had won a name for strength and dexterity which had caused Norbury to utter his well-meant warning.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

If the people had not been full of this lust for combat, it is certain that England must have been overborne.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Your immune system helps your body fight germs by producing substances to combat them.

(Immunization, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Low levels of immunoglobulins will affect the immune system's ability to combat bacterial infection.

(Hypogammaglobulinemia, NCI Thesaurus)

Therefore, it has been postulated that generating a greater volume of BAT, and increasing its activity, could be a potential strategy for combatting obesity and associated comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes.

(Increasing the level of physical activity is found not to improve the functioning of brown adipose tissue, University of Granada)

They produce different cytokines depending upon the type of pathogen they are trying to combat.

(Rapid-response immune cells are fully prepared before invasion strikes, NIH)