n.
a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country.
▸a state of competition, conflict, or hostility:
a price war.
▸a sustained campaign against something undesirable:
a war on drugs.
v.
(wars, warring, warred)
engage in a war or conflict.
Phrase
- be in the wars
informal be injured. - war clouds
a threatening situation of instability in international relations.
Etymology
OE werre, from an Anglo-Norman Fr. var. of OFr. guerre, from a Gmc base shared by worse.