Fight , n. [OE. fight, feht, AS.
feoht. See Fight,
v. i.]
1. A battle; an engagement; a contest in arms; a combat; a violent conflict or struggle for victory, between individuals or between armies, ships, or navies,
etc.
Who now defies thee thrice to single fight.
Milton.
2. A struggle or contest of any kind.
3. Strength or disposition for fighting; pugnacity; as, he has a great deal of
fight in him. [Colloq.]
4. A screen for
the combatants in ships.
[Obs.]
Up with
your fights, and your nettings prepare.
Dryden. Running fight, a fight in which the enemy is continually chased; also,
one which continues without definite end or result.
Syn.
-- Combat; engagement;
contest; struggle; encounter; fray; affray; action; conflict. See Battle.
Fight , v. t. 1. To
carry on, or
wage, as a conflict, or battle; to win or gain by struggle, as one's way; to sustain by fighting, as a cause.
He had to fight his way through the world.
Macaulay. I have fought a good fight.
2 Tim. iv. 7.
2. To contend with in battle; to
war against; as, they fought the enemy in two
pitched battles; the sloop
fought the frigate for three hours.
3. To cause to fight; to manage or maneuver in a
fight; as, to fight cocks; to fight one's ship.
To fight it out, to fight until a
decisive and conclusive result is reached.
Fight (fīt),
v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fought (f&add;t);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Fighting.]
[OE. fihten,
fehten, AS. feohtan; akin to D.
vechten, OHG. fehtan, G. fechten,
Sw. fäkta, Dan.
fegte, and perh. to E. fist; cf. L. pugnare to fight, pugnus fist.]
1. To strive or contend for victory, with armies or in single
combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an
enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in
arms; -- followed by with or against.
You do fight against your country's foes.
Shak. To fight with thee no
man of arms
will deign.
Milton. 2. To act in opposition to anything; to struggle against; to contend; to strive; to
make resistance.
To
fight shy, to avoid meeting fairly or at close
quarters; to keep out of reach.
Hear it pronounced