COMBAT (combatted, combatting)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: combatted    , combatting   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does combat mean? 

• COMBAT (noun)
  The noun COMBAT has 2 senses:

1. an engagement fought between two military forces

2. the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

  Familiarity information: COMBAT used as a noun is rare.

• COMBAT (verb)
  The verb COMBAT has 1 sense:

1. battle or contend against in or as if in a battle

  Familiarity information: COMBAT used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMBAT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An engagement fought between two military forces

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

armed combat; combat

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"):

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)

belligerency; hostilities (fighting; acts of overt warfare)

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

combat; fight; fighting; scrap

Context example:

the unhappy couple got into a terrible scrap

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"):

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

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)

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)

• COMBAT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they combat    ... he / she / it combats   
Past simple: combated    / combatted   
Past participle: combated    / combatted   
-ing form: combating    / combatting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Battle or contend against in or as if in a battle

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

battle; combat

Context example:

they battled over the budget

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)

 Context examples 

This finding could make an invaluable contribution to designing new therapies to combat the disease.

(Scientists identify how the exosomes of the parasite responsible for Chagas disease affect heart cells, University of Granada)

Applying this new information to enhancing honey bees’ microbiome may represent a new strategy to slow their aging or to combat physiological stress.

(Species Shifts in the Honey Bee Microbiome Differ with Age and Hive Role, U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Doctors sometimes prescribe hormone treatment for such men to combat challenges they may have with sexual function, bone fractures, and other symptoms.

(Hormone treatment studied in older men, NIH)

To combat the effects of a poor diet, probiotics may be just the thing.

(Probiotics May Not Always Be A Silver Bullet for Better Health, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A fungus genetically engineered to produce spider toxin can crush populations of malaria-spreading mosquitoes, according to a study hailed as a breakthrough by international scientists battling to combat the disease.

(Genetically modified fungus hailed as malaria breakthrough, SciDev.Net)

To combat infections, the body turns on antimicrobial genes that cause the production and release of inflammatory chemicals into the affected site and bloodstream.

(Drug might help treat sepsis, NIH)

The researchers say this study is a testament to the growing trend of international and cross-disciplinary collaboration, which is needed to combat the growing and global threat of antibiotic resistance.

(A New Class of Antibiotics to Combat Drug Resistance, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Researchers have been developing vaccines and other preventive strategies to combat malaria.

(Drug Prevents Malaria in High-Risk Region, NIH)

It was possible, and sometimes she thought it probable, that his affection might be reanimated, and the influence of his friends successfully combated by the more natural influence of Jane's attractions.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Future strategies might harness this homeostatic mechanism to promote resilience to stress and combat depression.

(Self-tuning neurons promote resilience to stress, depression, NIH)