Contention, strife, a dispute; also, abuse, an abusive speech. Obsolete.

An act or instance of contention or antagonism; a contest or conflict, a quarrel or dispute.

In particularized sense: A contest between armed forces carried on in a campaign or series of campaigns.

Originally: †a turn or bout of pulling or grappling with another person, in wrestling or some other kind of struggle or fight (obsolete). Later: (in…

A fight, contest.

A contention, dispute, quarrel.

figurative. A conflict waged with immaterial weapons; a struggle with pain or adversity. Obsolete.

(with a and plural) A particular act of strife; a quarrel, contest, dispute.

A fierce contest or fight; contention, open disagreement. Obsolete.

A struggle, a contest.

A quarrel, contention, bickering.

figurative. A conflict; struggle, strife; controversy.

transferred. Any contest or encounter.

The action of grappling, or grappling with; the state of being grappled; the grip or close hold of a wrestler; a contest in which the combatants grip…

A scuffle between opposing parties or persons. (Sometimes, humorously, a scuffle in the Counter prison.)

transferred and figurative. Now rare. Formerly often, †a heated controversy.

A painful struggle, esp. a psychological one; a conflict, fight, competition.

A strenuous contest between two forces or persons.

tug of war. (a) The decisive contest; the real struggle or tussle; a severe contest for supremacy. (b) An athletic contest between two teams who…

A dispute, a quarrel.

An act of struggling; a resolute contest, whether physical or otherwise; a continued effort to resist force or free oneself from constraint; a…

In West Africa: a dispute, quarrel, or misunderstanding; a matter for arbitration.

colloquial and regional (esp. Scottish and U.S.). A row, an uproar; a brawl; a dispute. Frequently (now only) in to settle the hash: to resolve a…

A mental or other non-physical struggle.

U.S. A scramble; a confused struggle, a ‘free-for-all’.

gen. and figurative. A fight, contest. Also, in weakened sense: an argument, a heated debate.

Chiefly colloquial. Originally: a prizefight, boxing match, or the like. Later more generally: a contest, a competition; a fight; an argument.

A vigorous struggle or conflict.

figurative. A struggle or contest.

A vigorous or disorderly conflict; a severe struggle, a hard contest; a scuffle. in figurative sense: esp. a sharp and determined contention or…

A private conversation; = tête-à-tête, n. 1.

A chaotic struggle or tussle, esp. one involving large numbers of people; a mêlée; a battle.

figurative. A site of, or forum for, strife or conflict; an issue about which there is intense debate.

A sustained exchange of shooting, a gun-fight.

In extended use: an instance or act of fierce or strenuous contention.