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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

combat en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈkɒmˌbæt/ (UK)
  • /ˈkɑmˌbæt/ (US)
  • /ˈkʌmˌbæt/ (UK, obsolete)
  • (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Vulgar Latin combatto Old French combatre French combattredeverb. French combatbor. English combat 16th century, borrowed from Middle French combat, deverbal from Old French combatre, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- (“with”) + battuere (“to beat, strike”).

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) A battle, a fight (often one in which weapons are used).
    • In less than eight weeks, five divisions of United States troops have moved into combat, some of them from bases more than 6,000 miles away. More men are on the way. Fighting in difficult country under every kind of hardship, American troops have held back overwhelming numbers of the communist invaders. 1950 September 1, Harry S. Truman, 0:56 from the start, in MP72-73 Korea and World Peace: President Truman Reports to the People, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162:
    • Conditions were horrendous aboard most British naval vessels at the time. Scurvy and other diseases ran rampant, killing more seamen each year than all other causes combined, including combat. 2012 March 14, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87:
    • "My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects;[…]." 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
  2. (countable, uncountable) a struggle for victory

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
combats Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

intercombat · combat box · postcombat · combat sport · stage combat · combat drone · combat zone · combat general · armoured combat · combat pants · combatworthy · combat armour suit · combat armor suit · combat stress reaction · combatant · combat fatigues · combat fatigue · trial by combat · combat-ready · combat boot · close combat · combat loading · combat engineer · anticombat · combative · post-combat · combatative · combat pay · armored combat · combat log · combatable · noncombat · mortal combat · single combat · pre-combat · mutual combat · combat trousers · precombat · combat air patrol · combat roll

Relateds

battery · battle · rebate · batter · abate · battalion · hors de combat · abattoir · debate

Translations (113)

hy կռիվ (a battle; a fight) · es combate (a battle; a fight) · cmn 奮鬥 /奋斗 (a battle; a fight) · fr combat (a battle; a fight) · gd cath (a battle; a fight) · da kamp (a battle; a fight) · scn lutta (a battle; a fight) · hi संग्राम (a battle; a fight) · ca batalla (a battle; a fight) · sw mashindano (a battle; a fight) · pap pelea (a battle; a fight) · gd còmhrag (a battle; a fight) · hi युद्ध (a battle; a fight) · da træfning (a battle; a fight) · sv batalj (a battle; a fight) · fi taistelu (a battle; a fight) · rif amenɣi (a battle; a fight) · pt batalha (a battle; a fight) · ru сраже́ние (a battle; a fight) · sa रण (a battle; a fight) · ang camp (a battle; a fight) · is slagsmál (a battle; a fight) · pap peleya (a battle; a fight) · cy brwydr (a battle; a fight) · es batalla (a battle; a fight) · es acción (a battle; a fight) · sv slag (a battle; a fight) · srn feti (a battle; a fight) · he נפתולים (a battle; a fight) · acw مُحاربة (a battle; a fight) · la pugna (a battle; a fight) · cs boj (a battle; a fight) · ca combat (a battle; a fight) · fo bardagi (a battle; a fight) · acw قِتال (a battle; a fight) · fi kamppailu (a battle; a fight) · mk би́тка (a battle; a fight) · bg сраже́ние (a battle; a fight) · eo batalo (a battle; a fight) · ang gūþ (a battle; a fight) · bg би́тка (a battle; a fight) · kmr ceng (a battle; a fight) · it battaglia (a battle; a fight) · ru би́тва (a battle; a fight) · ro luptă (a battle; a fight) · sv kamp (a battle; a fight) · fr bataille (a battle; a fight) · ota پرخاش (a battle; a fight) · hi रण (a battle; a fight) · ga comhrac (a battle; a fight) · nl treffen (a battle; a fight) · sv strid (a battle; a fight) · tr muharebe (a battle; a fight) · ota صاواش (a battle; a fight) · pl walka (a battle; a fight) · pt luta (a battle; a fight) · no slagsmål (a battle; a fight) · nl slag (a battle; a fight) · grc μάχη (a battle; a fight) · grc ὑσμίνη (a battle; a fight) · nl veldslag (a battle; a fight) · mk бој (a battle; a fight) · el πάλη (a battle; a fight) · scn battagghia (a battle; a fight) · ko 싸움 (a battle; a fight) · ar قِتَال (a battle; a fight) · cmn 戰鬥 /战斗 (a battle; a fight) · kmr şer (a battle; a fight) · et lahing (a battle; a fight) · sv slagsmål (a battle; a fight) · sq lufta (a battle; a fight) · mk бо́рба (a battle; a fight) · gl combate (a battle; a fight) · nrf combat (a battle; a fight) · hi समर (a battle; a fight) · io kombato (a battle; a fight) · ko 교전 (a battle; a fight) · grc δηϊοτής (a battle; a fight) · kmr şerr (a battle; a fight) · te పోటీ పడు (a battle; a fight) · sh borbena (a battle; a fight) · de Gefecht (a battle; a fight) · fr lutte (a battle; a fight) · pap bringamentu (a battle; a fight) · el μάχη (a battle; a fight) · tr boğuşmak (a battle; a fight) · pdt Schlacht (a battle; a fight) · nl gevecht (a battle; a fight) · ja 戦闘 (a battle; a fight) · ota ناورد (a battle; a fight) · da slagsmål (a battle; a fight) · bg борба́ (a battle; a fight) · pt combate (a battle; a fight) · fy fjochtsjen (a battle; a fight) · ko 전투 (a battle; a fight) · el αγώνας (a battle; a fight) · af geveg (a battle; a fight) · de Schlacht (a battle; a fight) · fy striid (a battle; a fight) · ru борьба́ (a battle; a fight) · da slag (a battle; a fight) · nl kamp (a battle; a fight) · pt peleja (a battle; a fight) · ang gefeoht (a battle; a fight) · ro bătaie (a battle; a fight) · ckb کارزان (a battle; a fight) · ru бой (a battle; a fight) · de Kampf (a battle; a fight) · la proelium (a battle; a fight) · pt pugna (a battle; a fight) · pap bataya (a battle; a fight) · hy մարտ (a battle; a fight) · nl strijd (a battle; a fight)

combat en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /kəmˈbæt/ (US)
  • /kəmˈbæt/ (UK)
  • /ˈkɒmˌbæt/ (UK)
  • /ˈkɑmˌbæt/ (US)
  • /ˈkʌmˌbæt/ (UK, obsolete)
  • (US) audio
  • (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Vulgar Latin combatto Old French combatre French combattredeverb. French combatbor. English combat 16th century, borrowed from Middle French combat, deverbal from Old French combatre, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- (“with”) + battuere (“to beat, strike”).

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To fight; to struggle against.
    • It has proven very difficult to combat drug addiction.
    • President Donald Trump’s administration has made combating what it considers anti-Israel and antisemitic movements on college campuses a priority. He signed an executive order during his second week in office to “combat antisemitism” in schools and on university campuses, and on February 3 announced the creation of a multiagency task force to carry out the mandate. 2025 March 10, Karina Tsui and Elizabeth Wolfe, “Department of Education investigating 60 colleges and universities over antisemitism claims”, in CNN:
  2. (intransitive) To fight (with); to struggle for victory (against).
    • To combat with a blind man I disdain. 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
combats Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
combatting Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
combated Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
combated Tense=Past lexicographic
combatted Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
combatted Tense=Past lexicographic
combating Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Translations (30)

pt combater (to fight; to struggle for victory) · fr combattre (to fight; to struggle for victory) · hi युद्ध (to fight; to struggle for victory) · la proelior (to fight; to struggle for victory) · el καταπολεμώ (to fight; to struggle for victory) · ca combatre (to fight; to struggle for victory) · bg боря се (to fight; to struggle for victory) · es combatir (to fight; to struggle for victory) · it combattere (to fight; to struggle for victory) · cmn 反對 /反对 (to fight; to struggle for victory) · gl combater (to fight; to struggle for victory) · mk се бо́ри (to fight; to struggle for victory) · ro combate (to fight; to struggle for victory) · el πολεμώ (to fight; to struggle for victory) · acw قاتَل (to fight; to struggle for victory) · cs bojovat (to fight; to struggle for victory) · oc combatre (to fight; to struggle for victory) · hi संग्राम (to fight; to struggle for victory) · pl zwalczać (to fight; to struggle for victory) · cy brwydro (to fight; to struggle for victory) · fi kamppailla (to fight; to struggle for victory) · scn cummàttiri (to fight; to struggle for victory) · sv bekämpa (to fight; to struggle for victory) · nl vechten (to fight; to struggle for victory) · ga comhraic (to fight; to struggle for victory) · fi taistella (to fight; to struggle for victory) · ar قَاتَلَ (to fight; to struggle for victory) · de bekämpfen (to fight; to struggle for victory) · bg сражавам се (to fight; to struggle for victory) · de kämpfen (gegen, mit) (to fight; to struggle for victory)