1bat·tle 
/ˈbætl̟/ noun
plural bat·tles /ˈbætl̟/ noun 1 a : a military fight between groups of soldiers, ships, airplanes, etc. [count] ▪ That two-day conflict has become one of the most famous battles in history. ▪ The battle continued late into the night. ▪ the battle of Gettysburg [noncount] ▪ The men never spoke of the difficulties of battle. [=war] ▪ Hundreds of dead soldiers lay on the field of battle. [=the battlefield] ▪ the brave warriors who died/fell in battle [=while fighting in a war] ▪ Thousands of soldiers were willing to go into battle to fight the enemy.
b [count] : a violent fight in which people use weapons
▪ A police officer was injured in a gun battle that took place last night. 2 [count] a : a fight between people or groups in which each side tries to win a contest (such as a game or an election) or to gain control of something (such as a company)
▪ The divorced couple is now in a fierce custody battle over their son. [=a legal fight about who their son will live with] ▪ The company was involved in a legal battle with/against one of its employees. ▪ He has been engaged in a running battle [=a fight or disagreement that continues for a long time] with the government over the amount of money he owes in taxes. — often + for ▪ They are engaged in a battle for the presidency. [=a fight to win an election and become the president] ▪ a battle for control of the land — often followed by to + verb ▪ a battle to control the land ◊A battle of wits is a contest in which each side tries to win by being smarter or cleverer than the other side.
▪ In this movie, it's a battle of wits as the bank robbers try to outsmart the city's detectives. ◊A battle of wills is a contest in which each side tries to win by refusing to stop trying.
▪ The workers' strike became a difficult battle of wills between the company and the labor union.
b : a fight between two different or opposite forces
▪ the never-ending battle between/of good and evil ▪ The comedy is a classic treatment of the battle of the sexes. [=the struggle for power between women and men] 3 [count] : a long struggle to succeed or survive during a difficult situation
▪ Last year, he lost his 10-year battle with/against AIDS. [=he died of AIDS after being sick with the disease for 10 years] ▪ Starting her own business has proven to be an uphill battle. [=a very difficult struggle] ◊If you are involved in a losing battle you are trying to do something with little or no chance of success.
▪ I tried to get him to change his mind, but it was a losing battle. [=he refused to change his mind] ▪ She tried to stay awake but it was a losing battle. ▪ a gardener fighting a losing battle against weeds
b [count] : a violent fight in which people use weapons
▪ A police officer was injured in a gun battle that took place last night.
▪ The divorced couple is now in a fierce custody battle over their son. [=a legal fight about who their son will live with] ▪ The company was involved in a legal battle with/against one of its employees. ▪ He has been engaged in a running battle [=a fight or disagreement that continues for a long time] with the government over the amount of money he owes in taxes. — often + for ▪ They are engaged in a battle for the presidency. [=a fight to win an election and become the president] ▪ a battle for control of the land — often followed by to + verb ▪ a battle to control the land ◊A battle of wits is a contest in which each side tries to win by being smarter or cleverer than the other side.
▪ In this movie, it's a battle of wits as the bank robbers try to outsmart the city's detectives. ◊A battle of wills is a contest in which each side tries to win by refusing to stop trying.
▪ The workers' strike became a difficult battle of wills between the company and the labor union.
b : a fight between two different or opposite forces
▪ the never-ending battle between/of good and evil ▪ The comedy is a classic treatment of the battle of the sexes. [=the struggle for power between women and men]
▪ Last year, he lost his 10-year battle with/against AIDS. [=he died of AIDS after being sick with the disease for 10 years] ▪ Starting her own business has proven to be an uphill battle. [=a very difficult struggle] ◊If you are involved in a losing battle you are trying to do something with little or no chance of success.
▪ I tried to get him to change his mind, but it was a losing battle. [=he refused to change his mind] ▪ She tried to stay awake but it was a losing battle. ▪ a gardener fighting a losing battle against weeds
do battle
: to fight or struggle
▪ political opponents who have been doing battle [=battling] for years — usually + with ▪ political opponents who have been doing battle with each other for years ▪ soldiers doing battle with the enemy
▪ political opponents who have been doing battle [=battling] for years — usually + with ▪ political opponents who have been doing battle with each other for years ▪ soldiers doing battle with the enemy
half the battle
: an important and necessary part of doing or achieving something
▪ When you're opening a new restaurant, good advertising is half the battle. — often used with words like only and just to stress that something is not enough by itself to achieve a desired goal ▪ If you want a career in show business, having talent is only half the battle—you also need to be lucky.
▪ When you're opening a new restaurant, good advertising is half the battle. — often used with words like only and just to stress that something is not enough by itself to achieve a desired goal ▪ If you want a career in show business, having talent is only half the battle—you also need to be lucky.
in the heat of (the) battle
: while fighting in a battle
▪ The soldier became confused in the heat of battle. — often used figuratively ▪ He apologized to his wife for the angry things he had said to her in the heat of battle. [=while they were arguing]
▪ The soldier became confused in the heat of battle. — often used figuratively ▪ He apologized to his wife for the angry things he had said to her in the heat of battle. [=while they were arguing]
join battle — see join
