SKIRMISH, noun 1. A slight fight in war; a light combat by armies at a great distance from each other, or between detachments and small parties. 2. A contest; a contention. They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit. SKIRM'ISH, verb intransitive To fight slightly or in small parties.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI