■ noun a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country.
↘a state of competition, conflict, or hostility: a price ~.
↘a sustained campaign against something undesirable: a ~ on drugs.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ring , ~red ) engage in a ~ or conflict.
Phrases
be in the ~s informal be injured.
~ clouds a threatening situation of instability in international relations.
Origin
OE werre , from an Anglo-Norman Fr. var. of OFr. guerre , from a Gmc base shared by worse .