n.
fighting between armed forces.
v.
(combats, combating or combatting, combated or combatted)
- take action to reduce or prevent (something undesirable).
- archaic engage in a fight with.
Etymology
C16: from Fr. combattre, from late L. combattere, from com- ‘together with’ + battere, var. of L. batuere ‘to fight’.