WAR

[noun] - armed fighting between two or more countries or groups, or a particular example of thisnuclear war [U]a war film/grave/hero/poetIf this country goes to (= starts to fight in a) war we will have to face the fact that many people will die. [U]Britain and France declared war on Germany in 1939 as a result of the invasion of Poland. [U]War broke out between the two countries after a border dispute. [U]They've been at war for the last five years. [U]He died in World War 1/the Vietnam war. [C]A war of attrition is a war which is fought over a long period and only ends when one side has neither the soldiers and equipment nor the determination left to continue fighting.A war of nerves is a situation, often before a competition or battle, in which two opposing sides attempt to frighten or discourage each other by making threats or by showing how strong or clever they are.The lead-up to tonight's boxing match has seen the usual war of nerves in the press.A war is also any situation in which there is fierce competition between opposing sides or a great fight against something harmful.The new import tax could provoke a trade war between the two nations. [C]The past few months have witnessed a price war between leading supermarkets.The government are to step up their attempt to wage war against/on drugs. [U]A war bride is a girl or woman who, during a war, marries a member of the armed forces from a different country.If someone says that war clouds are gathering over a particular country they mean that a war seems increasingly likely there.It was the 1930s, unemployment was around three million and war clouds were already on the horizon in Europe.A war crime is a crime which is committed during a war which breaks the accepted international rules of war.Genocide is a war crime.He was a Nazi war criminal (= someone who committed war crimes).A war cry (also battle cry) is a phrase or word shouted by people as they start to fight, which is intended to give them the strength and courage to fight harder.(figurative) The phrase 'burn your bra!' was the feminists' war cry of the 1970s.A war dance is a ceremonial dance, performed by some tribal people, either before they fight or after a victory.You quite often see footballers doing a sort of war dance just after they've scored a goal these days.A war game is a pretend military battle which is performed only for the purpose of training officers.A war memorial is a large structure, made esp. of stone, which is built in honour of those people who died in a particular war.War paint is a paint used by some tribal people to decorate the face and body before fighting.(humorous) War paint is also make-up.