I. ˈwȯ(ə)r, ˈwȯ(ə) noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English werre, warre, from Old North French werre, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German werra confusion, strife; akin to Old High German werran to confuse, Latin verrere to sweep, and perhaps to Greek errhein to go, go to ruin
1.
a.
(1) : a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between political units (as states or nations)
war cannot exist between two countries unless each of them has its own government — E.D.Dickinson
— see civil war , cold war , limited war ; compare battle , riot
(2) : a period of armed conflict between political units
the neighboring countries fought a war over the disputed territory
— sometimes used in plural
gone off to the wars
also : state of war 2
(3) : state of war 1b
hostilities were officially ended … though … the war was not yet officially over — F.A.Ogg & P.O.Ray
b. archaic : an engagement in a war : battle
c. : the art, activity, profession, or science of military operations : the methods and principle of warfare
d.
(1) obsolete : weapons and equipment for war
(2) archaic : soldiers armed and equipped for war
e. : a conflict carried on by one or a few of the normal means of war or one field of military activity distinguished from other activities in a war
a naval war for control of trade routes
integrating the conduct of the ground and air wars
2.
a. : a state of hostility, conflict, opposition, or antagonism between mental, physical, social, or other forces
these factions were more at war than were the two real political parties — Roy Lewis & Angus Maude
the children would in all probability fare better in peace with one parent than in war with two — E.F.Melson
making war on the periodic invasion of insects — Emery Neff
his innate gentleness at war with his fierce sense of power — Robert Payne
b. : a struggle of any degree of intensity carried on between opposing forces (as desires, social groups, or physical forces) in a particular field or by a particular means or for a particular goal
a war against want and destitution and economic demoralization — F.D.Roosevelt
price war
a war of scurrilous pamphlets — V.L.Parrington
a personal war against engulfment in the provincial pattern of conformity — Henry Cavendish
class war
3. : a card game for children in which the cards are turned up one by one, the highest takes the others, and a tie occasions a situation in which the next turn decides ; also : the situation occasioned by a tie in the game of war
II. intransitive verb
( warred ; warred ; warring ; wars )
Etymology: Middle English werrien, werren, warren, from werre war
1. : to make or wage war : carry on armed hostilities
nations … warred repeatedly against their victims and against one another — H.R.Isaacs
2. : to be in active or vigorous conflict or contention especially during an extended period
the desire for life warred with his fear and hate of it — Douglas Stewart
landowners and squatters warred for years over clouded titles — Julian Dana
Synonyms: see contend
III. ˈwȧr adverb (or adjective)
Etymology: Middle English werre, war, from Old Norse verri, adjective, verr, adverb — more at worse
chiefly Scotland : worse
IV. transitive verb
( warred ; warred ; warring ; wars )
Etymology: Middle English warren, from war (III)
Scotland : worst , overcome
V. ˈwȧr
dialect
past of be
VI. abbreviation
warrant